§ Mr. McKelveyTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he has taken to resolve the dispute between the Scottish prison service and the Scottish Prison Officers Association.
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§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonI am concerned to ensure that the industrial action threatened by the Scottish Prison Officers Association is avoided if at all possible. Such action can result only in an adverse effect on both members of staff and the service as a whole.
Discussions on the issues involved have been under way for some time now between prison service management and the trade union side, which includes the association, and further meetings are being held before Christmas. I am kept fully abreast of developments.