§ 29. Mr. Evelyn Kingasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is aware that a prison officer, Mr. Lambert, serving at the Portland Borstal was killed on 24th November; what additional precautions he will take to ensure the safety of prison officers; and if he will make a statement.
§ Miss BaconI cannot at present add to the Answer which I gave on 16th December to Questions about this tragic incident.
§ Mr. KingIn view of the fact that borstal officers, who are sometimes isolated, are being assaulted at the rate of something like one per week, may I ask, first, what proposals the right hon. Lady has to remedy staff shortage and, secondly, whether the Prison Officers' Association, following the abolition of the death penalty but preceding this incident, did not make representations to secure better financial treatment for the widows of those who suffer in this way? May I ask the right hon. Lady to consider this matter urgently and whether, in any award which she may make, she will backdate it to cover the case of my constituent?
§ Miss BaconI could not, without notice, answer the point in the latter part of the hon. Member's supplementary question. As he knows, however, a person has been charged with murder. We shall study very carefully the evidence 385 that comes out and see what can be done to prevent any such occurrence in the future. We always want more prison officers, although I would say that at present we accept only about one in twelve of those who apply, because we want to retain the high standards that we have in the prison service.
§ Mr. DanceWould the right hon. Lady agree in principle that if a prison or police officer is murdered in the execution of his duty, his widow should receive a pension equivalent to the amount of pension which she would receive had he retired at the normal pensionable age? Secondly, does not she agree also that if a man is seriously injured in the execution of his duty as a police or prison officer, he should have his salary made up to the amount of salary which he would have received had he remained as a police or prison officer, having through his injuries to go into a job which commanded lower pay?
§ Miss BaconThe hon. Member should put down a Question concerning the future. Mrs. Lambert would receive a lump sum payment of £813 and a weekly sum of £13 8s. for the first 13 weeks of her widowhood and £11 16s. a week thereafter, plus family allowances. If the hon. Member would like to put down a Question about the future, I will certainly answer it.