Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many former members of prison staff have been appointed to the Prison Service Reserve in the last year.

The creation of the Prison Service Reserve was announced in June. Staff information will be published in late November, covering the period up to 30 September.

The National Offender Management Service has written to 2,066 selected former staff who left during the past two years, inviting them to volunteer for a fixed term contract of up to nine months. In response to positive replies from former employees, 435 application packs were distributed.

Recruitment for both the Prison Service Reserves and for permanent officers is progressing well. NOMS is currently aiming to appoint up to 100 Reserves (full time equivalents), but with the flexibility to develop the Reserve as required. We will also be recruiting nearly 1,700 Prison Officers on permanent contracts between 1 January 2014 to 31 March 2015.