Prison Officers (Hansard, 21 April 1988)

§ 10. Mr. Barry Field
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received about the appointment of women prison officers to high security male prisons; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Douglas Hogg
No representations have been received other than from my hon. Friend. Since the beginning of this year a total of about 77 women prison officers have been posted into local and dispersal prisons and new male establishments. This innovation has proved highly successful.

§ Mr. Field
I welcome the appointment of female warders to high security prisons, so that they can search the female visitors, but does my hon. Friend understand that, although these warders cannot carry out the duties of male warders in high security prisons, they count against the manpower approved strength of those prisons? Does he agree that the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 is about as relevant to the need to keep international terrorists secured under lock and key as my Aunt Fanny?

§ Mr. Hogg
I regret that I am not acquainted with my hon. Friend's relatives, so I cannot comment on the last part of his question.
Female prison officers can perform most roles as effectively as male officers, including that of physical restraint. Moreover, their presence can frequently serve to defuse tension. It is perfectly true, however, that the deployment of female prison officers is a new policy, and because of that and the anxiety expressed by my hon. Friend I intend to review the matter in 12 months' time.

§ 11. Sir John Farr
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to bring the number of prison officers up to establishment in maximum security prisons; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Hurd
Further staff will continue to be allocated to dispersal prisons as they become available from training courses in the light of operational need.

§ Sir John Farr
I thank my right hon. Friend for that reply. Is he aware, however, that there is a school of thought that holds that if Gartree prison had not been 31 prison officers under establishment at the time of the helicopter escape last January those two prisoners would not have escaped? Bearing in mind the intense responsibility of maximum security gaols, will my right hon. Friend pay particular attention to ensuring that their staffing levels are up to scratch?

§ Mr. Hurd
My hon. Friend's concern is understandable. I am aware that there is such a school of thought. My hon. Friend will know, however, that it is not borne out by the report that I received on that escape from the deputy director general of the prison service. Nevertheless, by 1 April the difference at Gartree to which my hon. Friend refers had been reduced to 14, and I am glad to be able to tell him that a further nine staff are to be allocated to the prison by the end of May.

§ Mr. Corbett
Can the Home Secretary confirm that newly built wings in top security prisons are this day standing empty because of the lack of an adequate number of prison officers? How can prison officers combat the violence, petty crime and drug abuse on which the chief inspector of prisons comments in his latest report when officer levels in too many prisons are still well below the establishment levels agreed in the Fresh Start proposals?

§ Mr. Hurd
The hon. Gentleman should know two things. First, the expansion of the prison service has proceeded faster than the expansion of the prison population. Secondly, whereas this year we need about 600 new prison officers to deal with wastage, we are recruiting 1,960–1,360 more than are required for wastage.