Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, for what reason the Government decided to award no salary increase to the majority of prison officers in the 2015-16 pay award.

Staff should be in no doubt how highly I value the hard work that they put in every single day. That is why we have introduced major organisational changes that have saved taxpayers money and ultimately ensured key jobs have stayed in the public sector.

Our reforms have helped to save £300m per year from 2015 -16 - protecting existing jobs and creating new ones by ensuring that HMPS will run the new prison in North Wales.

Pay awards for prison officers are determined independently of Government by the Prison Service Pay Review Body having considered evidence from both NOMS and trade unions. The award recommended for 2015/16 does not include a salary increase for most prison officers who remain in the old NOMS grade (although a small number will receive a contractual incremental increase). All officers in the new (Fair and Sustainable) pay structures will receive an increase. The recommended award recognises that significant pay reform is an important part of delivering future savings .

The Government has accepted the recommendations in full. To do otherwise would undermine the independence of the Review Body as a genuine compensatory measure for restrictions placed on prison staff participating in lawful industrial action over pay.