Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the number of (a) prison officers and (b) qualified mental health practitioners employed at HMP Risley.

HM Prison and Probation workforce statistics detailing staffing by establishment are published quarterly. The latest publication can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/her-majestys-prison-and-probation-service-workforce-quarterly-march-2018

Prison officer numbers are at their highest in five years, which is vital to ensuring prisons are safe, secure and decent. We now have over 3,500 additional staff in post compared to October 2016. The recruitment drive will continue until we reach required levels across the prison estate, ensuring prisons can fulfil their purpose - protecting the public, reducing reoffending and crucially, rehabilitating offenders. Increased staff numbers will enable us to implement the key worker role, giving staff dedicated time to provide one-to-one support to individual prisoners and, for example, identify where mental health support may be needed.

Staffing for prison healthcare services at HMP Risley is a matter for healthcare providers under contract to NHS England. Prison governors work collaboratively with NHS England commissioners to support the commissioning of high quality healthcare services across the prison estate in England.