§ Mr. MONTAGUEasked the Home Secretary whether he is aware that the Prison Officers' Representative Board and that of the Broadmoor State Asylum have made repeated representations during the past 12 years for higher rates of pay without any apparent success; and whether, under the circumstances, he will consider revising the constitution of the representative board system in order that the officers concerned may be represented on the National Whitley Council?
§ Mr. LLOYDThe suggestion in the first part of the hon. Member's question is mistaken. Improved scales of pay have recently been introduced both for prison officers and for attendants at Broadmoor Asylum. The answer to the second part of the question is in the negative.
§ Mr. MONTAGUEasked the Home Secretary the rate of pay of quasi-permanent and temporary prison officers as it stood on 31st December last and at the present time; the privileges and emoluments, if any; and the number of hours these officers now do within the prison walls per day or night?
§ Mr. LLOYDThe rates of pay of quasi-permanent officers on 31st December were 49s. 10d. a week for men and 39s. a week for women, and for temporary officers 7s. 8d. a day for men and from 4s. 10d. to 6s. 4d. a day for women. These are also the existing rates, but the question of their revision is under consideration. The hours of duty of quasi-permanent officers engaged as night patrols are six shifts of ten hours each a week, and for stokers and others not less than 48 hours a week. Quasi-permanent officers receive six working days' annual leave with pay, plus the usual public holidays, and temporary officers receive similar leave after 12 months service.
§ Mr. MONTAGUEasked the Home Secretary the approximate amounts of the lowest and highest increases of pay and increments of pay for the under-mentioned ranks in connection with the recent consolidation of pay and emoluments of the prison staff: prison commissioner, assistant commissioner, governor 576W Class I, steward Class I, and for an ordinary prison officer or an attendant at Broadmoor Criminal Lunatic Asylum?
§ Mr. LLOYDApart from the consolidation of pay and bonus which applied to all Government servants, there has been a recent improvement in the scales of pay for prison officers and for attendants at Broadmoor Asylum. In the case of prison officers this represents an increase of 4s. ld. weekly at the minimum of the scale and 2s. 9d. at the maximum. The corresponding increases for male attendants at Broadmoor are 4s. 2d. and 2s. 9d.; and in both cases the maximum is reached after 12;y ears instead of 20. In the case of prison stewards (Class I), the old consolidated scale of £456 rising to £516, plus quarters, has been replaced by one rising from 1575 to £650 without quarters. Apart from the consolidation of pay and bonus there has been no change in the remuneration of the other ranks mentioned.