§ Mr. CoxTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the number of agency nurses employed in prison hospitals on 1 October; what rates of pay they were being paid; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mrs. RumboldAgency nurses are employed by the prison service as a means of filling posts temporarily during periods of acute staffing difficulty when redeployment is not an available option. About 55 posts were wholly or partially covered by agency staff on 1 October. Agency charges vary and information about the charges met by individual establishments is not held centrally. Establishments are encouraged to seek value for money in the purchase of such services.