§ Dr. Lynne JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his policy on the implementation of redundancies in the Prison Service. [2121]
§ Miss WiddecombeResponsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Richard Tilt to Dr. Lynne Jones, dated 7 November 1996:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about policy on the implementation of redundancies in the Prison Service.As an Executive Agency of the Home Office, the Prison Service must follow Home Office-wide procedures. Redundancy cannot be considered unless posts are being lost, work reduced or changed significantly. It would not be right to use public money for redundancy unless the right conditions existed.Before a redundancy scheme is introduced, a 90 day period of consultation with the Prison Service Trade Unions is instigated. Good communications with staff and Trade Unions is considered fundamental to the success of a redundancy programme, and staff are kept informed throughout the exercise using the normal channels of communication.The current redundancy scheme, the Voluntary Early Retirement and Severance scheme (VERSE), was introduced o meet the budget cuts that the Service is required to achieve. Under VERSE the aim is to achieve the required post reductions through voluntary redundancies.Almost 4000 applications have been received for voluntary early retirement and severance and it is expected that around 1300 staff will be able to leave under VERSE.