Prison Officers

HC Deb 23 March 2004 vol 419 cc797-802W

Mrs. Ann Cryer

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prison officer entry level training courses have been run over the past 12 months; what the start date of each course was; where each course was held; what the capacity of each course was; how many new recruits or converting staff started each course; how many completed each course; and if he will make a statement. [160745]

Paul Goggins

Between 1 March 2003 and 29 February 2004, 89 Prison Officer Entry Level Training courses started.

Details of those courses are set out in the tables.

(i) 1 March 2003–30 September 2003
Date	Venue	Normal capacity	Number of completions
29 September 2003	Central—PSC Newbold Revel	40	37
29 September 2003	Local—HMP Stoke Heath	18	18
29 September 2003	Local—HMP Nottingham	19	19
Total		1,379	1,330

(ii) 1 October 2003–29 February 2004
Date	Venue	Normal capacity	Number of delegates	Number of completions
6 October 2003	Local—HMP Belmarsh	14	14	14
13 October 2003	Central—PSC Newbold Revel	40	39	39
13 October 2003	Local—HMP Woodhill	17	17	17
20 October 2003	Local—HMP Wymott	14	14	14
27 October 2003	Central—PSC Newbold Revel	40	35	35
27 October 2003	Local—HMP Feltham	33	33	33
3 November 2003	Local—HMP Wymott	18	18	18
3 November 2003	Local—HMP Highpoint	18	16	16
3 November 2003	Local—HMP Full Sutton	14	14	14
10 November 2003	Central—PSC Newbold Revel	40	42	42
17 November 2003	Central—PSC Newbold Revel	40	41	41
17 November 2003	Central—PSC Newbold Revel	40	38	38
17 November 2003	Local—HMP Manchester	17	12	12
1 December 2003	Central—PSC Newbold Revel	40	44	44
1 December 2003	Local—HMP Whitemoor	20	20	20
8 December 2003	J.ocal—HMP Bullingdon	16	16	16
8 December 2003	Local—HMP Belmarsh	15	13	13
15 December 2003	Central—PSC Newbold Revel	40	39	39
12 January 2004	Central—PSC Newbold Revel	40	38	38
12 January 2004	Local—HMP Wymott	13	13	13
12 January 2004	Local—HMP Bullingdon	16	16	16
12 January 2004	Local HMP Woodhill	15	14	14
12 January 2004	Local—HMP Highpoint	20	20	19
12 January 2004	Local—HMP Full Sutton	18	18	18
19 January 2004	Local—HMP Highdown	19	19	19
19 January 2004	Central—PSC Newbold Revel	40	38	38
19 January 2004	Local—HMP Feltham	37	37	37
26 January 2004	Local—HMP Stoke Heath	10	10	10
2 February 2004	Central—PSC Newbold Revel	40	32	32
2 February 2004	Central—PSC Newbold Revel	20	17	17
9 February 2004	Local—HMP Frankland	15	15	15
16 February 2004	Central—PSC Newbold Revel	40	33	33
23 February 2004	Local—HMP Belmarsh	15	15	15
Total		834	800	799
Grand total		2,213	(800)	2,129

Records of number of delegates starting the course are available only for courses beginning from 1 October 2003.

It is not possible to provide information on the number of new recruits and the number of converting staff on each course. All existing staff apply to officer positions as external recruits, and not as transfers or promotions. As no distinction is made at the point of recruitment, no distinction is made in the data recorded.

Some central courses have operated at slightly above their normal capacity, to accommodate particular recruitment pressures at the time. Hence, in some cases, the numbers of completions exceeds the normal capacity.

Locally delivered courses generally do not have a predetermined maximum capacity, but are planned to accommodate the number of officers who have been recruited. Hence, the capacity of locally delivered courses varies over time.

Mrs. Ann Cryer

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate the Prison Service has made of the number of new prison officers it will need to recruit to provide a full staff complement by April 2005. [160747]

Paul Goggins

Or 29 February 2004 23,772 prison officer grades (Prison Officers, Senior Officers and Principal Officers) were employed by the Prison Service. In addition, prison officers contracted to work additional hours equivalent to in excess of 400 full-time officers through the contract supplementary hours scheme, giving a total staffing availability equivalent to 24,172 prison officer grades. This compared to an operational staffing requirement for prison officer grades of 24,627. These figures do not take account of new staff still in the recruitment process on 29 February 2004.

The Prison Service operational staffing requirement will change as new accommodation is brought into operation and as accommodation is temporarily taken out of operational use for refurbishment. However, the current shortfall in overall staffing availability for prison officer grades against the current operational staffing requirement is equivalent to just 448 officers, or 1.82 per cent., which is an acceptable operating margin.

The Prison Service estimates that it will need to recruit 2,600 new prison officers between l February 2004 and 1 April 2005 to meet planned increased capacity and replace officers forecast to leave the service through retirement and for other reasons. This is in line with current levels of recruitment activity. However, actual recruitment over this period will depend on a variety of factors including the overall availability and use of resources.

Mr. Stinchcombe

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prison officers in England and Wales are from a minority ethnic group. [161063]

Paul Goggins

978 prison officer grade staff (prison officers, senior officers and principal officers) in public sector prisons are currently recorded as from a minority ethnic group, based on voluntary declarations. This represents 4.1 per cent. of staff currently employed in prison officer grades.

Mr. Hancock

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average leave entitlement is for staff at(a) state and (b) private jails in England and Wales. [160804]

Paul Goggins

A report commissioned in 2003 by the Prison Service Pay Review Body contained a comparison of annual holiday entitlements between private sector and state run prisons. An extract of the relevant table in this report follows.

Senior officer, prison officer and OSG and equivalent
	Days per year
Initial
Prison service	25
Private sector	20
Maximum
Prison service	33
Private sector	23

Note: Prison service figures include three days privilege holiday taken on defined days during the year.

Mr. Hancock

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the differences are between pension levels at private and state run jails in England and Wales. [160805]

Paul Goggins

A report commissioned in 2003 by the Prison Service Pay Review Body contained a comparison of pension provision between private sector and state run prisons. Using a method of comparison to employer contribution rates, the difference between pension levels for prison officers at private and state run prisons in England and Wales has been calculated at an average salary benefit value of † 9.5 per cent. to staff in state-run prisons. This figure reduces to † 2 per cent. at the in-charge governor level.

Mr. Hancock

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average annual salary for prison officers is at(a) privately-run and (b) state-run prisons in England and Wales. [160801]

Paul Goggins

A report commissioned in 2003 by the Prison Service Pay Review Body contained an average salary comparison between private sector and state-run prisons. The study found the average basic salary for prison officers in state-run prisons in England and Wales to be £23,017 (at 1 April 2003 rates). The corresponding figure for private sector prisons was £16,077.

Mr. Hancock

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average salary is for prison officers at state-run prisons in England and Wales. [160806]

Paul Goggins

A report commissioned in 2003 by the Prison Service Pay Review Body contained average salary figures for state run prisons in England and Wales. This showed the average basic salary for prison officers in state-run prisons to be £23,017 (at 1 April 2003 rates).