Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the effect of the menopause on the ability of female prison officers to pass the annual fitness test.

The HMPPS policy on staff fitness testing states that if an employee is suffering from any specific side-effects related to the menopause, there may be the opportunity to postpone the test for a limited period whilst the side-effects subside. The deferred test would need to be completed within a 3-6-month period of the originally scheduled test and the employee would be expected to take the test at the next opportunity. If they are still unable to take the test due to significant medical symptoms, a referral to Occupational Health (OH) should be made to advise on adjustments if appropriate and a GP referral maybe required.

HMPPS is commissioning further specialist medical advice to ensure the Equality Assessment for Fitness Testing remains valid, and to consider what further support can be offered to menopausal staff in general and specifically in relation to the fitness test.