HC Deb 24 November 1995 vol 267 cc381-2W
Mr. George Howarth

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the teaching staff working with prisoners are employed on a part-time basis and how many on a full-time basis; what is the average rate of pay for(a) part-time and (b) full-time teaching staff working with prisoners; and what is the average holiday entitlement for (i) part-time and (ii) full-time teaching staff working with prisoners. [395]

Miss Widdecombe

Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the temporary Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from Richard Tilt to Mr. George Howarth, dated 24 November 1995:

The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about how many of the teaching staff working with prisoners are employed on a part-time basis and how many on a full-time basis; what is the average rate of pay for (a) part-time and (b) full-time teaching staff working with prisoners; and what is the average holiday entitlement for (i) part-time and (ii) full-time teaching staff working with prisoners.The Prison Service does not directly employ any of the teaching staff working in prisons. They are employees of organisations which were awarded contracts for the provision of education services at prison establishments following a competitive tendering exercise. All issues relating to their terms and conditions of employment are matters for their employers, and details of the deployment of teachers are not held centrally. Under the General Terms and Conditions of Contract covering education services, contractors are required to appoint a full-time education co-ordinator to undertake duties for no less than 30 hours a week at each establishment where they hold a contract, so there is at least one full-time teacher at each establishment.Teaching staff at the contracted out prisons (Blakenhurst, Buckley Hall, Doncaster and Wolds) and at Manchester are employees either of the organisation holding the contract for overall management of the establishment, or of an organisation appointed by the main contractor to manage the education provision. Issues relating to the terms and conditions of employment of these staff are also a matter for the employing organisation rather than the Prison Service.