Asked by: Richard Burgon (Labour - Leeds East)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Government news story of 12 March 2020 on preparedness to deal with coronavirus in prisons, how many and what proportion of (a) prisoners, (b) prison officers and (c) other prison staff have regular access to (i) soap and (ii) hot water; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
Prisons have existing, well-developed policies and procedures in place to manage outbreaks of infectious diseases. These policies and procedures are being built upon in response to the specific risks posed by COVID-19 and we have put in place robust contingency plans, informed by Public Health authorities.
HMPPS has introduced a procedure for the protective isolation of individuals in prison custody when it is considered that they may be potentially infected with the virus. This has been communicated to all prison staff.
Basic hygiene is a key part of tackling COVID-19. All prisoners have access to soap and hot water for handwashing – not just in cells but also in other shared areas such as education blocks, kitchens, showers, workplace toilets and the gym.
All prison staff, including teaching staff, also have access to adequate handwashing facilities and we have worked closely with suppliers to ensure adequate supply of soap and cleaning materials
We are looking at ways to increase front line staff availability so that we can minimise the impacts on regimes of staff absences. This includes the possibility of pay and reward enhancements.
Asked by: Richard Burgon (Labour - Leeds East)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Government news story of 12 March 2020 on preparedness to deal with coronavirus in prisons, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of access to handwashing facilities for teaching staff in prisons.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
Prisons have existing, well-developed policies and procedures in place to manage outbreaks of infectious diseases. These policies and procedures are being built upon in response to the specific risks posed by COVID-19 and we have put in place robust contingency plans, informed by Public Health authorities.
HMPPS has introduced a procedure for the protective isolation of individuals in prison custody when it is considered that they may be potentially infected with the virus. This has been communicated to all prison staff.
Basic hygiene is a key part of tackling COVID-19. All prisoners have access to soap and hot water for handwashing – not just in cells but also in other shared areas such as education blocks, kitchens, showers, workplace toilets and the gym.
All prison staff, including teaching staff, also have access to adequate handwashing facilities and we have worked closely with suppliers to ensure adequate supply of soap and cleaning materials
We are looking at ways to increase front line staff availability so that we can minimise the impacts on regimes of staff absences. This includes the possibility of pay and reward enhancements.
Asked by: Richard Burgon (Labour - Leeds East)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Government news story of 12 March 2020 on preparedness to deal with coronavirus in prisons, whether (a) policies and (b) procedures to manage outbreaks of disease have been updated to include coronavirus.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
Prisons have existing, well-developed policies and procedures in place to manage outbreaks of infectious diseases. These policies and procedures are being built upon in response to the specific risks posed by COVID-19 and we have put in place robust contingency plans, informed by Public Health authorities.
HMPPS has introduced a procedure for the protective isolation of individuals in prison custody when it is considered that they may be potentially infected with the virus. This has been communicated to all prison staff.
Basic hygiene is a key part of tackling COVID-19. All prisoners have access to soap and hot water for handwashing – not just in cells but also in other shared areas such as education blocks, kitchens, showers, workplace toilets and the gym.
All prison staff, including teaching staff, also have access to adequate handwashing facilities and we have worked closely with suppliers to ensure adequate supply of soap and cleaning materials
We are looking at ways to increase front line staff availability so that we can minimise the impacts on regimes of staff absences. This includes the possibility of pay and reward enhancements.
Asked by: Richard Burgon (Labour - Leeds East)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans he has to offer prison staff bonuses to cover shortages during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
Prisons have existing, well-developed policies and procedures in place to manage outbreaks of infectious diseases. These policies and procedures are being built upon in response to the specific risks posed by COVID-19 and we have put in place robust contingency plans, informed by Public Health authorities.
HMPPS has introduced a procedure for the protective isolation of individuals in prison custody when it is considered that they may be potentially infected with the virus. This has been communicated to all prison staff.
Basic hygiene is a key part of tackling COVID-19. All prisoners have access to soap and hot water for handwashing – not just in cells but also in other shared areas such as education blocks, kitchens, showers, workplace toilets and the gym.
All prison staff, including teaching staff, also have access to adequate handwashing facilities and we have worked closely with suppliers to ensure adequate supply of soap and cleaning materials
We are looking at ways to increase front line staff availability so that we can minimise the impacts on regimes of staff absences. This includes the possibility of pay and reward enhancements.
Asked by: Richard Burgon (Labour - Leeds East)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Government news story of 12 March 2020 on preparedness to deal with coronavirus in prisons, how many prisoners have been (a) placed in isolation due to possible infection with, (b) tested for and (c) diagnosed with coronavirus on each day since the appearance of that disease.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
HMPPS is doing everything it can to prevent the spread of COVID-19, based on the very latest scientific and medical advice. We are working closely with Public Health England, the NHS and the Department of Health and Social Care to manage the challenges we face.
The safety and wellbeing of staff, prisoners and visitors is paramount and at the heart of our approach.
We have robust contingency plans in place, which are informed by advice from Public Health authorities. Part of our contingency planning involves the ability to deploy staff flexibly. We are taking steps to boost staff availability so that we can look after prisoners properly and minimise the impacts on regimes of staff absences. This includes, as and when required, operational staff currently working in headquarters being redeployed to prisons to support the service.
In line with broader clinical advice, HMPPS has introduced a procedure for the protective isolation of individuals in prison custody when it is considered that they may be potentially infected with the virus.
We are closely monitoring the number of prison officers, prisoners and others who are reported as self-isolating, are being tested for and have been diagnosed with COVID-19. We will publish COVID-19 management information once we have assured its robustness, in a fast-changing picture.
Asked by: Richard Burgon (Labour - Leeds East)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Government news story of 12 March 2020 on preparedness to deal with coronavirus in prisons, how many prison officers have (a) self-isolated, (b) been tested for and (c) been diagnosed with coronavirus on each day since the appearance of that disease.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
HMPPS is doing everything it can to prevent the spread of COVID-19, based on the very latest scientific and medical advice. We are working closely with Public Health England, the NHS and the Department of Health and Social Care to manage the challenges we face.
The safety and wellbeing of staff, prisoners and visitors is paramount and at the heart of our approach.
We have robust contingency plans in place, which are informed by advice from Public Health authorities. Part of our contingency planning involves the ability to deploy staff flexibly. We are taking steps to boost staff availability so that we can look after prisoners properly and minimise the impacts on regimes of staff absences. This includes, as and when required, operational staff currently working in headquarters being redeployed to prisons to support the service.
In line with broader clinical advice, HMPPS has introduced a procedure for the protective isolation of individuals in prison custody when it is considered that they may be potentially infected with the virus.
We are closely monitoring the number of prison officers, prisoners and others who are reported as self-isolating, are being tested for and have been diagnosed with COVID-19. We will publish COVID-19 management information once we have assured its robustness, in a fast-changing picture.
Asked by: Richard Burgon (Labour - Leeds East)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Government news story of 12 March 2020 on preparedness to deal with coronavirus in prisons, how many non-operational prison staff have (a) self-isolated, (b) been tested for and (c) been diagnosed with coronavirus on each day since the appearance of that disease.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
HMPPS is doing everything it can to prevent the spread of COVID-19, based on the very latest scientific and medical advice. We are working closely with Public Health England, the NHS and the Department of Health and Social Care to manage the challenges we face.
The safety and wellbeing of staff, prisoners and visitors is paramount and at the heart of our approach.
We have robust contingency plans in place, which are informed by advice from Public Health authorities. Part of our contingency planning involves the ability to deploy staff flexibly. We are taking steps to boost staff availability so that we can look after prisoners properly and minimise the impacts on regimes of staff absences. This includes, as and when required, operational staff currently working in headquarters being redeployed to prisons to support the service.
In line with broader clinical advice, HMPPS has introduced a procedure for the protective isolation of individuals in prison custody when it is considered that they may be potentially infected with the virus.
We are closely monitoring the number of prison officers, prisoners and others who are reported as self-isolating, are being tested for and have been diagnosed with COVID-19. We will publish COVID-19 management information once we have assured its robustness, in a fast-changing picture.
Asked by: Richard Burgon (Labour - Leeds East)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans he has to redeploy prison staff to cover front-line prison services during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
HMPPS is doing everything it can to prevent the spread of COVID-19, based on the very latest scientific and medical advice. We are working closely with Public Health England, the NHS and the Department of Health and Social Care to manage the challenges we face.
The safety and wellbeing of staff, prisoners and visitors is paramount and at the heart of our approach.
We have robust contingency plans in place, which are informed by advice from Public Health authorities. Part of our contingency planning involves the ability to deploy staff flexibly. We are taking steps to boost staff availability so that we can look after prisoners properly and minimise the impacts on regimes of staff absences.
We are not planning to release prisoners in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Asked by: Richard Burgon (Labour - Leeds East)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of releasing low-risk prisoners to ease overcrowding during the course of the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
HMPPS is doing everything it can to prevent the spread of COVID-19, based on the very latest scientific and medical advice. We are working closely with Public Health England, the NHS and the Department of Health and Social Care to manage the challenges we face.
The safety and wellbeing of staff, prisoners and visitors is paramount and at the heart of our approach.
We have robust contingency plans in place, which are informed by advice from Public Health authorities. Part of our contingency planning involves the ability to deploy staff flexibly. We are taking steps to boost staff availability so that we can look after prisoners properly and minimise the impacts on regimes of staff absences.
We are not planning to release prisoners in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Asked by: Richard Burgon (Labour - Leeds East)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of (a) assaults, (b) serious assaults and (c) sexual assaults on prison staff were carried out against (i) prison officers, (ii) probation officers, (iii) educational staff, (iv) health-care staff and (v) other staff in the 12 months to September in each of the last 10 years.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
Violence against our hardworking staff is completely unacceptable and will never be tolerated, which is why we have doubled the maximum prison sentence for anyone who assaults prison officers. Those who commit more serious offences can be imprisoned for far longer.
We are giving officers tools like PAVA pepper spray and body-worn cameras to make their jobs safer.
More widely, we are spending £100 million to bolster prison security, clamping down on the weapons, drugs and mobile phones that fuel violence and crime behind bars. This will fund tough security, body scanners and phone-blocking technology.
The numbers of assaults, serious assaults and sexual assaults on staff are published annually. They are broken down into prison officers and other staff. The most recent go up to December 2018 and can be seen via https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/safety-in-custody-quarterly-update-to-september-2019. The next set of annual data will be published on 30 April.
The numbers of prison staff admitted to hospital following the throwing of urine and/or excreta in the last ten calendar years are in the table below. HM Prison & Probation Service does not hold data that would show whether a prisoner was under the influence of psychoactive substances when assaulting a member of staff.
2009 | 0 | 2014 | 2 |
2010 | 0 | 2015 | 0 |
2011 | 0 | 2016 | 1 |
2012 | 0 | 2017 | 3 |
2013 | 0 | 2018 | 1 |
I regret that, apart from this, to provide figures to the level of detail requested could be done only at disproportionate cost.