Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 18 September 2018 to Question 172523 on Prisons: Private Sector, what grades of staff are covered by the term funded posts.

The contract price for privately managed prisons includes the cost of providing all staff with the required skills and experience necessary for the provision of the services as set out in the contract. This includes, but is not limited to, administrative staff, Prison Custody Officers (PCOs) and Operational Support Grades (OSGs). The Ministry of Justice does not mandate staffing numbers and it is the responsibility of the Contractor to determine and maintain the number of staff necessary to discharge the requirements of the contract and ensure that staff are sufficiently trained to undertake their duties.

The performance of all providers continues to be robustly managed. We will not hesitate to take action if and when standards fall short.