Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether her Department has plans to raise the starting salary for prison officers.

Pay for Prison Officers is informed by independent recommendations made by the Prison Service Pay Review Body (PSPRB) through the annual pay review process.

On 22 May, the Government accepted all 13 of the independent recommendations put forward by the PSPRB for 2025/26. This year’s award represents an increase of at least 4% for all operational prison staff, delivering another real-terms pay rise on top of the one provided last summer.  This will bring the starting salary for an entry-level Prison Officer (on the national rate, 39 hours with unsocial hours) from £34,494 to £35,875 and will be effective 1 April 2025 when implemented.

We announced the 2025/26 award more than two months earlier than last year, keeping our promise to give prison staff more certainty about the pounds in their pockets.