Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to prison service order 4460, how many (a) male and (b) female prisoners received (i) unemployment, (ii) employment, (iii) short-term sickness, (iv) long-term sickness and retirement, (v) maternity leave or caring for children and (vi) outside hospital allowance pay in public sector prisons in the latest period for which data is available.

The breakdown of information requested is not centrally held by the Ministry of Justice.

Prisoners’ Pay policy guidance is provided in Prison Service Order 4460. The Prison Service sets the national minimum rates of pay but the rates of pay which operate in prison establishments are a matter for local management. Local pay rates reflect the prisoner population needs, the type of prison and regime in operation, and the paid activity available.