§ Mr. Mathersasked the Secretary of State for Scotland why candidates for the Scottish prison service are required to attend a training school at an English prison; whether the Scottish prison service is considered incapable of training its own candidates; and what is the reason for training candidates under one system for acceptance into another where the conditions of service and the laws of the countries offer so much contrast?
§ Mr. ElliotThe Imperial Training School for Prison Officers at Wakefield Prison offers special facilities for the training of candidates for prison appointments both in the United Kingdom and overseas and arrangements have been made by which the advantages of this training centre may be made available to the Scottish Prisons Service. Candidates for appointment as warders in the Scottish Prisons Service were formerly trained at a Scottish prison; and while this was efficiently done within the limits of the available resources, I am satisfied that the use of the wider resources of the Imperial Training School will be of benefit1268W to the Scottish Prisons Service. I may add that the period of training at the school is followed by a short period of training at a Scottish prison.
§ Mr. Mathersasked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) whether he is aware that the system of training candidates for the Scottish prison service at an English prison offers financial difficulty to those who come from the Highlands and Islands of Scotland; and can he say what allowance of fares and expenses is made to candidates who have to travel such long distances;
(2) what is the reason for the rule that single fare from Glasgow to Wakefield is allowed for candidates for the Scottish prison service attending the imperial training centre for prison officers; that this decreases if the journey commences from points south of Glasgow but fails to increase if commencing from points north thereof; and whether he will arrange for full expenses to be allowed?
§ Mr. ElliotIt is the general practice of the Civil Service that candidates for first appointment should bear their own travelling expenses when joining for duty or training. Thus it is understood that candidates for the English prison service who are sent to Wakefield for training pay their own fares; and when candidates for appointment to the Scottish prisons service were formerly assigned to Barlinnie Prison, Glasgow, for probationary service they joined at their own expense.
When arrangements were made recently for the use of the Imperial Training School for Prison Officers at Wakefield for the training of candidates for appointment to the Scottish prisons service it was provided exceptionally that such candidates living in Scotland should be allowed the cost of the railway fare from their home to Wakefield, within the limit of the amount of the railway fare from Glasgow to Wakefield. This provision ensures that they are in no case put to greater expense than if the place of training were Barlinnie Prison, Glasgow; and it does not appear that any modification of this provision is necessary.
§ Mr. Mathersasked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is aware that certain prison officers may complete, in civil and military service, 35 years under the Crown, but receive less than 25s. per week pension on retiring at the 1269W age of 55 years; and whether he will take steps to increase the pension for such long service to the State?
§ Mr. ElliotThe pensions payable to prison officers on retirement under the Superannuation Acts are related to the period of Civil Service and there is no provision by which a period of military service before appointment to the Civil Service can be taken into account for civil pension. I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Wednesbury (Mr. Banfield) by my right hon. Friend the Financial Secretary to the Treasury on 1st June.