§ Mr. CoxTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has received on the ability of prison officers to find accommodation in the London area at rents that they can afford; and if he will make a statement.
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§ Mr. Peter LloydNo survey has been undertaken by the prison service as to how prison officers newly posted to London prisons find suitable accommodation. Since fresh start, prison officers are no longer quarters entitled.
Officers who are transferred to London prisons on permanent compulsory transfer terms are entitled to reimbursement of the expenses incurred in moving home. If they own a property, its sale at the current market value is guaranteed through a Home Office scheme operated by the Black Horse Relocation Company. Financial assistance to officers transferring at public expense from a cheaper to a more expensive area and whose outgoings have necessarily increased is available in the form of additional housing cost allowance. Officers may apply for an advance of salary for house purchase which is repayable, free of interest, over a 10-year period.
§ Mr. CoxTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prison officers have resigned from the service in each of the last five years and have given as the reason the difficulty in finding reasonably priced accommodation.
§ Mr. Peter LloydNo records are kept of the number of prison officers who resign from the Prison Service because of their inability to find suitable accommodation.