Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, to how many former prison staff his Department has written on the formation of Her Majesty's Prison Service Reserve.

The National Offender Management Service has written to 2066 selected former officers who left during the past two years, inviting them to volunteer for a fixed term contract of up to nine months.

There is no limit on, or estimate of, the number of former officers who may be accepted to join the HMPS Reserve.

The provisions for the repayment of voluntary exit payments upon re-appointment are defined by the Civil Service Compensation Scheme. Information on the Civil Service Compensation Scheme is available on the Civil Service website at: http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/pensions