HC Deb 28 January 1998 vol 305 cc279-80W
Mr. Beith

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many hours training are given to prison officers and prison custody officers at each of the privately managed prisons prior to taking up their duties; and if he will make a statement. [25049]

Ms Quin

The number of hours of initial training received by prison officers at directly managed prisons and by prisoner custody officers (PCOs) at each of the privately managed prisons is:

Prison officers at directly managed prisons 312 hours training at the Prison Service College and 117 hours induction and familiarisation at the prison
PCOs, Her Majusty's Prison (HMP) Altcourse 347 hours initial training at the prison
PCOs, Her Majesty's Prison (HMP) Blakenhurst 320 hours initial training at the prison
PCOs, Her Majesty's Prison (HMP) Buckley Hall 309 hours initial training at the prison
PCOs, Her Majesty's prison (HMP) Doncaster 280 hours initial training at the prison
PCO, Her Majesty's Prison (HMP) Parc 350 hours initial training at the prison
PCOs, Her Majesty's Prison (HMP) Wolds 320 hours initial training at the prison

In all cases at contractually managed prisons there is additional training reflecting the specific nature of the tasks to be undertaken by individual members of staff.

Mr. Beith

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the salary maxima and minima for(a) prison officers, (b) prison custody officers working in the Greater London area and (c) prison custody officers in each of the privately managed prisons; and if he will make a statement. [25118]

Ms Quin

The annual salary for prison officers is £14,863 minimum up to £20,499 maximum; in addition there are three rates of London Weighting and London Supplement as follows:

London Weighting (£) London Supplement (£)
Inner 1,776 508
Intermediate 1,015 330
Outer 736 264

The annual salary for basic grade prisoner custody officers at privately managed prisons is as follows:

£
Prison Minimum Maximum
Altcourse 13,000 flat rate1
Blakenhurst 13,500 15,370
Buckley Hall 13,000 13,860
Doncaster 13,500 15,312
Parc 14,000 flat rate1
Wolds 13,000 16,807
1 A single flat rate of pay is currently paid to prisoner custody officers at Her Majesty's Prison Altcourse and Her Majesty's Prison Parc because the prisons opened on 1 December 1997 and 17 November 1997 respectively.

There are no privately managed prisons in the Greater London area, but the annual salary for basic grade prisoner custody officers employed on the court escort and custody service in the Metropolitan Police District is £11,501 minimum rising to £15,065 maximum.