HC Deb 03 May 1990 vol 171 cc659-60W
35. Mr. Hinchliffe

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on prison staffing levels.

Mr. Mellor

On 1 April 1990 there were more than 20,500 principal, senior and basic grade officers in post in establishments, an unprecedently high level. A total of 3,300 additional officers have joined the staff of the service in the past three years to enable new places to open and to meet in full management's commitment under the fresh start framework agreement. Plans are in hand to recruit up to 1,295 more in 1990–91.

On 11 April my right hon. and learned Friend announced plans for the speeding up of the recruitment of 200 of the officers who were due to join later this year, in recognition of the stress which the prison service is suffering as a result of the disturbances at Strangeways and elsewhere. Lord Justice Woolf has the task of looking into all the background to these disturbances and staffing levels will no doubt be an element of his inquiry.