SNP MSP Stewart Stevenson says the railway operating companies said that effectiveness and costs is what they would take most interest in. 

Mr Stevenson asks about costs and whether these will be borne by Police Scotland.

Transport Minister Humza Yousaf says rail companies have said that discussions with the government on this have been constructive. 

Mr Yousaf says when there have been other changes to legislation Police Scotland have had to cover it within their current budgets.

Image source, BTP

Justice Secretary Michael Matheson says ACC Higgins told the committee integration will lead to more "effectiveness and efficiency".

Mr Matheson says the single command structure will give greater accountability.

SNP MSP Ben Macpherson asks about a bespoke transport unit within Police Scotland and if there is a commitment from the government to retain this and asks about the operational benefits of any legislation. 

Justice Secretary Michael Matheson says there is an intention to have a specialist division within Police Scotland.

Mr Matheson says, there is no doubt, that within Police Scotland there is a range of different ethoses. 

He says there will be training so that officers have a greater skill set. 

He says the accountability and scrutiny of policing is now greater than it ever was under a single force.

Image source, bbc

Transport Secretary Humza Yousaf says before he was elected to the parliament he was one of those young Asian males stopped and searched by the police at airports and railway stations after 9/11.

Mr Yousaf says when it happened under a section 44 at the railway station there was not the same level of accountability that there was with Poilce Scotland when he was stopped and searched at airports

Mr McArthur asks if Mr Matheson is aware of any BTP profiling in stop and search.

Mr Matheson says that BTP were working on a pan UK basis on stop and search.

Image source, bbc

Justice Secretary Michael Matheson says cross-party agreement on the devolution of the BTP was achieved in the Smith Commission.

Lib Dem MSP Liam McArthur says out of the Smith Commission there were three or four options that could have been looked at.

Mr Matheson says it is not unusual for the Scottish government to take a policy position and to pursute it.

Mr McArthur asks if the government should not have allowed the consultation to consider all of the options.

The justice secretary says in his view the other models were not viable or would have created confusion.

Mr Matheson says he preferred the option that BTP should be integrated with a clear line of accountability.

Conservative MSP Oliver Mundell says he does not agree there is an imperative to do this straight away and it "seems very rushed".

Where are the failings, Mr Mundell asks.

Mr Matheson says the government set out its position in 2011.

The justice secretary says ACC Higgins said the timetable were a "luxury".

He says he is confident there will be sufficient time to take it forward.

Mr Mundell says the minister sidestepped his question and asks again where there are failings.

Mr Matheson says the principle issue was around accountability around BTP.

Tory MSP Oliver Mundell asks if the Justice Secretary would agree that railways policing is working well at the moment.

Mr Matheson says railway policing has now been devolved.

Mr Mundell says taking that aside for a moment does Mr Matheson believe the system is working well at the moment.

Mr Matheson says he believes those policing Scotland's railways are working well at the moment but the changes are coming about because of the Smith Commission. 

Greens MSP John Finnie asks for clarity on a triple lock guarantee for BTP staff in Scotland. 

Transport Secretary Humza Yousaf says there were concerns over terms and conditions very early on in the process.

Mr Yousaf says a triple lock guarantee would absolutely be the right thing to do in areas such as terms and conditions and pensions.

He says the government are determined to ensure that there is no detriment for officers and staff.

Image source, bbc

Justice Secretary Michael Matheson says he is confident that the sharing of information is an ongoing daily process and the UK and Police Scotland are engaged every day, as they are with the security services.

Mr Matheson says it goes beyond this to Europol where Police Scotland has embedded officers and it goes beyond that to Interpol.

He says the ability to share intelligence takes place now and Police Scotland are doing it on a daily basis.

Mr Matheson says it is worth keeping in mind that the Defence Structure Review carried out by the UK government highlighted policing infrastructure in the UK as a whole as an area of concern.

The justcie secretary says whether that is legislated for is a decision for the UK government but in Scotland policing infrastructure is already being worked on.

Image source, bbc

Labour MSP Mary Fee says counter-terrorism within the BTP is reserved.

Ms Fee says there is already a single command structure across the BTP in dealing with terrorism and if the BTP becomes part of Police Scotland there will actually be two command structures.

Mr Matheson says BTP in Scotland would require the assistance from Police Scotland to deal with a terrorist incident, as it does not have the capacity to deal with it.

He says he is confident that with integration there will be no doubt about the capacity for Police Scotland to deal with a terrorist incident.

Mr Matheson says cross-border work already takes place in ports and airports.

The justice secretary says interaction and cooperation already happens at a domestic level.

He says, with regards to a question on football and travelling fans, that during the recent England vs Scotland match Police Scotland were heavily involved in plans to deal with travelling fans and cross-border intelligence.