Image source, bbc

Pastor Keith Short from St John's Church in Linlithgow is delivering today's time for reflection.

Topical questions features issues around BBC Scotland's 'A Force in Crisis' documentary and the monitoring of the effectiveness of the pricing per unit of alcohol.

In a late addition to business, there will be a ministerial statement on the agreement of multi-year funding package for expansion of funded early learning and childcare.

Image source, Getty Images/BBC

There will then be a debate entitled 'the Success of the Commonwealth Games'.

This will be followed by a debate concluding the Civil Litigation (Expenses and Group Proceedings) (Scotland) Bill, which will be voted on at decision time.

Kezia Dugdale leads a members’ debate on ‘Support for Rape Crisis Centres and Prosecutions’, all about improving the justice system for rape survivors and, no doubt, the recent change of policy around compelling rape complainers to give evidence.

Dan Moore says there will be an additional cost for the extra work needed to get it right.

We are aware of the public money aspect of this and we are looking to minimise this as much as possible, he adds.

Improved programme management will ensure better monitoring of it, Mr Moore explains.

The Department for Transport representative says he does not want to prejduge the end costs because it may impact the process.

He confirms costs should be clearer by the end of August.

The committee moves into private session.

Image source, bbc

Dan Moore from the Department for Transport says the UK and Scottish governments will execute an "as is" transfer of terms and conditions.

Donna Bell from the Scottish government says Ernst and Young's ongoing role has not yet concluded.

Ms Bell says there has been a cost of £400,000 for programme change management.

Dan Moore from the Department for Transport says the focus is very much on getting this right.

He says they will really make sure to get the replanning exercise right.

SNP MSP Ben Macpherson turns to pensions and transferring BTP officers in Scotland to a segregated pot.

He wonders why these options were chosen.

Dan Moore from the Department of Transport says the joint programme board made the decision last summer to transfer across a range of terms and conditions.

In the last few months we have engaged with the trustees of the pensions to arrange for a transfer on an as is basis, he explains.

Image source, bbc

Committee convener Margaret Mitchell says the BTPF has given 70 questions to the Scottish government that remain unanswered apart from three main principles that are repeated.

Donna Bell from the Scottish government says: "I was surprised to hear from Nigel Goodband that there had been no engagement for quite some time."

She details a number of full day workshops between officials and the BTPF over the last few months.

Ms Bell concedes there are a number of questions that remain unanswered and these are being worked upon.

"We need to improve our engagement with staff, with officers and with stakeholders more broadly."

Tory MSP Liam Kerr asks whether a cost-benefit analysis is expected from Police Scotland.

Donna Bell says she anticipates cost-benefit analysis to be undertaken in each option as it emerges.

"If the costs outweigh the benefits, will anything change? And who makes that decision?" Mr Kerr asks.

Ms Bell says this will be considered as the programme moves forward.

The Tory MSP pushes further, asking if regardless of cost the end game will remain the same.

The discussions being had at the moment are about options within the programme, Ms Bell explains.

The joint programme board provides advice to ministers and if we felt any issues could not be resolves, we would say so to ministers, she adds.

Image source, BTP

Ernst and Young were paid almost £400,000 to oversee the merger process between Police Scotland and the BTP in Scotland, the Scotsman reported in March, external.

The payment was part of a £6.6m bill for national consultants by Police Scotland since its formation in 2014.

It led to renewed calls for the merger to be halted, with Tory MSP Liam Kerr suggesting the integration "is turning out to be a disaster".

A Scottish government spokesperson said ministers were working to ensure the legislation could be implemented "safely and effectively".

Image source, bbc

Donna Bell from the Scottish government says work continues on the integration activity.

Ms Bell says there will be unknown factors that will have to be manged going forward in terms of costs.

She says the decision for integration has already been made.

Labour MSP Daniel Johnson intervenes saying: "So it'll carry on regardless of the costs."

Ms Bell says the aim is that integration is carried out as effectively as possible and public safety is the priority.

She says obviously costs will be a clear issue for the government officials and ministers and we will want to minimise those.

Committee convener Margaret Mitchell asks about opportunities to look at other options for the delivery of railway policing in Scotland, including the commission service model.

Dan Moore of the Department for Transport says the matter is for the Scottish government and parliament to consider.

Donna Bell from the Scottish government says it is the cabinet secretary's view is that full integration is the best way to go.

The convener suspends the first evidence session.

Don't go far, the committee will be back shortly to take evidence from:

• Dan Moore from the Department for Transport, external
• Donna Bell from the Scottish government, external

Labour MSP Daniel Johnson presses on the BTP Federation's need to table public questions are SPA meetings.

It took 50 days of knocking on the door of the Department for Transport for them to share information says Nigel Goodband.

The DfT was concerned this had not been shared from the outset, he adds.

This did not indicate an improvement on the willingness to engage with people, Mr Goodband says.

Holyrood Live
BBC Parliaments

Image source, bbc

British Transport Police Federation national chairman Nigel Goodband says: "Our officers are still suffering a level of uncertainty and that is absolutely apalling."

The BTPF representative is giving evidence to the Justice Committee on the proposed integration of BTP into Police Scotland.

Mr Goodband says the Scottish government keep constantly reminding us that one of their three aims for integration was about accountability to the people of Scotland.

BTP officers are the people of Scotland he says and they have lived two years of uncertainty.

"The term that they have used to me is they feel abandonded by, not only their force but by their government, and that for me is pretty disgusting."

Tory MSP Maurice Corry asks: is it not a "gross error" that people have been ignored?

BTP Chief Constable Paul Crowther says the people are the most important and are who will make integration work.

He says it is a matter of "great regret" that they have not been engaged to the extent they should have been.

There is a commitment to increase engagement as the re-planning goes forward.

He insists that an appropriate amount of time must be given to replanning and negotiations.