Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of staff working in prisons are (a) directly employed by HM Prison Service, (b) employed by an external contractor to deliver medical services and (c) employed by an external contractor to deliver education services.

HM Prison and Probation (HMPPS) workforce statistics (which contains staffing figures in public sector prisons but not in privately managed prisons) are published quarterly. The latest publication can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/offender-management-statistics-quarterly-july-to-september-2018

Prison officer numbers are at their highest in five years, which is vital to ensuring prisons are safe, secure and decent. We have recruited over 3,000 new prison officers across the country in the last 18 months to improve safety and help turn offenders’ lives around. 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.

HMPPS does not collate information centrally in relation to contracted staff for Education or information on healthcare staff in prisons.

NHS England and Local Health Boards in Wales are responsible for the commissioning of healthcare services. NHS England’s contractors and the NHS in Wales is responsible for the employment of healthcare staff operating in Prisons, with the exception of primary care staff operating in 6 privately operated prisons. In 2018 the MoJ, HMPPS, Department for Health and Social Care, Public Health England and NHS England published a new National Partnership Agreement for Prison Healthcare in England. This is supported by national and local partnership arrangements to facilitate joint working. Similar arrangements exist in Wales.