New Scotland BTPA member appointed

The Secretary of State for Transport has appointed Iain Whyte as the new British Transport Police Authority (BTPA) Member for Scotland.

Iain, from Edinburgh, currently sits on the City of Edinburgh Council and has previously served as a board member for the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) and NHS Lothian.

As the BTPA member for Scotland, Iain will chair the Scottish Railways Policing Committee (SRPC), which is a sub-committee of the BTPA upon which serve two co-opted members of the SPA. The Committee provides a sharper focus on railway policing and BTP operations in Scotland, in particular joint working and collaboration between the BTP and Police Scotland.

BTPA Chair Ron Barclay-Smith said: “I am delighted that DfT has appointed Iain as an Authority Member. He has substantial experience of decision making and oversight on Public Sector boards, as well as detailed knowledge of police governance in Scotland. He will be an asset to the BTPA membership, and we look forward to working with him.”

Iain said: “I am excited to work with colleagues across BTP, Scottish policing and the rail industry in Scotland to ensure that the British Transport Police are meeting the needs and reflecting the priorities of those who travel and work on the network in Scotland.”

There are now 11 Members of the BTPA, the independent oversight body responsible for ensuring an efficient and effective police force. The Authority is made up of a Chair, Deputy Chair, and Authority Members, supported by an executive team who manage finance, strategy, governance, performance and secretariat along with holding the Chief Constable to account.

BTPA is responsible for Chief Officer appointments, setting the budget and charging the costs of railway policing out to the rail industry and service users. BTPA ensures that industry priorities are reflected in the operational planning and service delivery of BTP and coordinates misconduct hearings and complaint reviews.

Consultation on reform to our charging methodology

The British Transport Police Authority (BTPA) is responsible for defraying the costs of railway policing to the rail industry and other service users. We are reviewing the way in which we allocate these charges to our core funders, and proposing a new methodology that will be simpler, more predictable and should reduce volatility.

BTPA consulted with industry between 26 September to 7 November 2023, with the product of that informing our feedback provided in writing to operators on 1 July and in subsequent briefings on 9 and 15 July 2024.

Consultation pack on reform of the charging methodology for the allocation of charges to PSA holders

Consultation feedback pack on reform of the charging methodology for the allocation of charges to PSA holders

Frequently Asked Questions (updated 23/10/2023)

Example Calculation

Slidedeck: Stakeholder Engagement Session (9 July 2024)

Slidedeck: Stakeholder Engagement Session (1 November 2023)

Update on BTPA’s Consultation: December 2023

If you have any questions, please contact [email protected]

 

 

Allan Gregory is the new Assistant Chief Constable for Network Policing

The British Transport Police Authority (BTPA) has appointed Allan Gregory as the new BTP Assistant Chief Constable for Network Policing.

Allan has been an officer with the British Transport Police since 1992 and has worked across the West Midlands, Liverpool and Manchester. In 2012, he was promoted to Superintendent of the Wales and Western Area, and was Chief Superintendent for C Division for five years after that. Since August 2021, Allan has been the Temporary Assistant Chief Constable for Network Policing, responsible for local policing, performance, response, volume crime investigation, neighbourhood policing and stakeholder engagement across England, Scotland and Wales.

Chair of the BTPA, Ron Barclay-Smith, said: “We are delighted to announce Allan Gregory as the permanent appointment in the ACC role – a job he has been doing for a while now with impressive results. I can’t imagine anyone more fitting for this role, considering Allan’s passion for policing that serves the rail community, staff and passengers. Allan is a natural problem-solver, and I have witnessed how much he really cares about the job. He is a real asset to BTP and I wish him every success in the new role.”

BTP ACC Allan Gregory said: “I am incredibly proud to be appointed as ACC for Network Policing. This is a great time to be working in BTP given the amount of opportunity available. Policing is always challenged by demand and I am hugely motivated by the opportunities available to us all through crime prevention and collaboration. I’m also focussed on continuing to develop our Neighbourhood Policing offer. Above all, policing is about trust and legitimacy, and our recently launched Police Race Action Plan will take energy and commitment if we are to make the necessary difference.”

The appointment of BTP Chief Officers is the responsibility of Her Majesty’s Secretary of State for Transport.