§ Mr. Jon Owen JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the current standard hourly rate for prison security guards.
§ Mr. Peter LloydResponsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the prison service. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. Jon Owen Jones, dated July 1993:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent question about the current standard hourly rate for prison security guards.
Subsequent to the introduction of Fresh Start in 1987 prison officers receive an annual salary paid monthly. They are conditioned to an average week of 39 hours net, any additional hours worked are compensated for by time off in lieu as they are a non overtime grade.
Prison Officers have a seven point pay scale with a 10 and 15 year increment. The hourly rate ranges from £7.42 at the minimum to £9.25 at the 15 year point. These salaries are part of the annual pay negotiations between the Treasury and the Prison Officers Association and will be uplifted from 1 April 1993. Any increase will be within the Government pay restraints and be limited to between 0 to 1.5 per cent. increase.