Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prison cell fires there were in 2024, broken down by institution.
Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The overwhelming majority of the cell fires were considered ‘minor’ and quickly dealt with by staff, and medical assessment is provided for anyone who may have been exposed to smoke or heat. Where it is found that a fire is the result of arson, or of recklessness, the prisoner responsible will face robust punitive action, which can include further criminal charges. All operational staff receive Respiratory Protective Equipment training. Prison officers receive it as part of their Prison Officer Entry Level Training.
The requested information is provided in the table below:
Prison | Number of fires |
HM Prison Altcourse | 39 |
HM Prison Ashfield | 0 |
HM Prison Askham Grange | 2 |
HM Prison Aylesbury | 11 |
HM Prison Bedford | 55 |
HM Prison Belmarsh | 17 |
HM Prison Berwyn | 53 |
HM Prison Birmingham | 48 |
HM Prison Brinsford | 49 |
HM Prison Bristol | 48 |
HM Prison Brixton | 19 |
HM Prison Bronzefield | 36 |
HM Prison Buckley Hall | 5 |
HM Prison Bullingdon | 72 |
HM Prison Bure | 1 |
HM Prison Cardiff | 2 |
HM Prison Channings Wood | 13 |
HM Prison Chelmsford | 16 |
HM Prison Coldingley | 4 |
HM Prison Cookham Wood | 2 |
HM Prison Dartmoor | 1 |
HM Prison Deerbolt | 23 |
HM Prison Doncaster | 45 |
HM Prison Dovegate | 73 |
HM Prison Downview | 2 |
HM Prison Drake Hall | 1 |
HM Prison Durham | 16 |
HM Prison East Sutton Park | 1 |
HM Prison Eastwood Park | 3 |
HM Prison Elmley | 30 |
HM Prison Erlestoke | 17 |
HM Prison Exeter | 13 |
HM Prison Featherstone | 3 |
HM Prison Feltham | 31 |
HM Prison Five Wells | 68 |
HM Prison Ford | 0 |
HM Prison Forest Bank | 137 |
HM Prison Fosse Way | 33 |
HM Prison Foston Hall | 7 |
HM Prison Frankland | 4 |
HM Prison Full Sutton | 22 |
HM Prison Garth | 27 |
HM Prison Gartree | 13 |
HM Prison Grendon | 1 |
HM Prison Guys Marsh | 78 |
HM Prison Hatfield | 1 |
HM Prison Haverigg | 1 |
HM Prison Hewell | 10 |
HM Prison High Down | 19 |
HM Prison Highpoint | 37 |
HM Prison Hindley | 24 |
HM Prison Hollesley Bay | 1 |
HM Prison Holme House | 41 |
HM Prison Hull | 22 |
HM Prison Humber | 67 |
HM Prison Huntercombe | 15 |
HM Prison Isis | 35 |
HM Prison Isle of Wight | 20 |
HM Prison Kirkham | 0 |
HM Prison Kirklevington Grange | 0 |
HM Prison Lancaster Farms | 6 |
HM Prison Leeds | 31 |
HM Prison Leicester | 23 |
HM Prison Lewes | 42 |
HM Prison Leyhill | 0 |
HM Prison Lincoln | 5 |
HM Prison Lindholme | 96 |
HM Prison Littlehey | 3 |
HM Prison Liverpool | 32 |
HM Prison Long Lartin | 33 |
HM Prison Lowdham Grange | 79 |
HM Prison Low Newton | 0 |
HM Prison Maidstone | 3 |
HM Prison Manchester | 53 |
HM Prison Moorland | 9 |
HM Prison Morton Hall | 4 |
HM Prison New Hall | 2 |
HM Prison Northumberland | 9 |
HM Prison North Sea Camp | 0 |
HM Prison Norwich | 57 |
HM Prison Nottingham | 20 |
HM Prison Oakwood | 42 |
HM Prison Onley | 26 |
HM Prison Parc | 65 |
HM Prison Pentonville | 28 |
HM Prison Peterborough | 40 |
HM Prison Portland | 26 |
HM Prison Prescoed | 2 |
HM Prison Preston | 12 |
HM Prison Ranby | 49 |
HM Prison Risley | 16 |
HM Prison Rochester | 24 |
HM Prison Rye Hill | 0 |
HM Prison Send | 0 |
HM Prison Spring Hill | 2 |
HM Prison Stafford | 1 |
HM Prison Standford Hill | 2 |
HM Prison Stocken | 20 |
HM Prison Stoke Heath | 6 |
HM Prison Styal | 26 |
HM Prison Sudbury | 2 |
HM Prison Swaleside | 116 |
HM Prison Swansea | 3 |
HM Prison Swinfen Hall | 19 |
HM Prison Thameside | 70 |
HM Prison The Mount | 13 |
HM Prison The Verne | 1 |
HM Prison Thorn Cross | 1 |
HM Prison Usk | 0 |
HM Prison Wakefield | 17 |
HM Prison Wandsworth | 98 |
HM Prison Warren Hill | 1 |
HM Prison Wayland | 22 |
HM Prison Wealstun | 56 |
HM Prison Werrington | 15 |
HM Prison Wetherby | 23 |
HM Prison Whatton | 0 |
HM Prison Whitemoor | 23 |
HM Prison Winchester | 23 |
HM Prison Woodhill | 83 |
HM Prison Wormwood Scrubs | 6 |
HM Prison Wymott | 11 |
Total | 2931 |
Data source: HMPPS Fire Reporting Tool, Sphera Cloud
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to Question 13 of oral evidence taken before the Justice Committee on 24 October 2023, HC 1929, Session 2022–23, which prisons are (a) sending and (b) receiving prison officers under detached duty; and how many prison officers are affected.
Answered by Damian Hinds
On 8 November 2023, 385 prison officers at Bands 3-5 were deployed on detached duty. The prisons sending and receiving officers on detached duty on that date are listed in the table below:
Prisons sending staff on detached duty | Prisons receiving staff on detached duty |
Belmarsh | Berwyn |
Birmingham | Bristol |
Brinsford | Bullingdon |
Buckley Hall | Cookham Wood |
Bure | Elmley |
Cardiff | Long Lartin |
Channings Wood | Onley |
Chelmsford | Stocken |
Coldingley | Swaleside |
Dartmoor | The Mount |
Deerbolt | Wandsworth |
Downview | Wayland |
Durham | Whitemoor |
East Sutton Park | Woodhill |
Erlestoke |
|
Exeter |
|
Featherstone |
|
Ford |
|
Frankland |
|
Haverigg |
|
Hindley |
|
Holme House |
|
Hull |
|
Humber |
|
Lancaster Farms |
|
Leeds |
|
Leicester |
|
Leyhill |
|
Lincoln |
|
Littlehey |
|
Low Newton |
|
Maidstone |
|
Manchester |
|
Moorland |
|
Morton Hall |
|
New Hall |
|
North Sea Camp |
|
Nottingham |
|
Pentonville |
|
Preston |
|
Risley |
|
Rochester |
|
Stafford |
|
Stanford Hill |
|
Stoke Heath |
|
Swansea |
|
Swinfen Hall |
|
Thorn Cross |
|
Usk |
|
The Verne |
|
Wakefield |
|
Wealstun |
|
Werrington |
|
Wetherby |
|
Whatton |
|
Winchester |
|
Wormwood Scrubs |
|
Wymott |
|
Staff are deployed on detached duty as a tactical response to support other prisons when required, to cover staffing shortfalls, or to meet other operation requirements. It provides His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) with a vital contingency measure to assist in maintaining good order and security in prisons.
Despite a challenging labour market, we have seen indications of an improving resource picture nationally within prisons, with a substantial increase of 701 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) Band 3-5 Prison officers between June 2022-June 2023. In the same period, we have seen a fall in the resignation rate amongst Band 3-5 officers of 2.6 percentage points, down from 11.5% in June 2022 to 8.9% in June 2023.
Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty's Government on how many occasions pelargonic acid vanillylamide (PAVA) incapacitant spray has been (1) drawn, or (2) drawn and deployed, in prisons since 1 April 2019, broken down by prison.
Answered by Lord Wolfson of Tredegar - Shadow Attorney General
We ensure all our prison officers are trained in how to use PAVA professionally, safely and lawfully and that it is only used when necessary and proportionate.
The data provided for this response is collected as internal management information and reflects the data held at the date of extraction. It is not quality assured in the same way as data prepared for publication and is subject to change.
Establishment* | Total | Drawn only | Drawn and deployed |
Aylesbury | 20 | 5 | 15 |
Bedford | 6 | 4 | 2 |
Belmarsh | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Berwyn | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Brinsford | 18 | 4 | 14 |
Bure | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Channings Wood | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Durham | 4 | 4 | 0 |
Elmley | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Featherstone | 6 | 4 | 2 |
Ford | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Garth | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Gartree | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Hindley | 13 | 5 | 8 |
Hull | 25 | 4 | 21 |
Humber | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Isis | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Manchester | 3 | 2 | 1 |
Moorland | 3 | 1 | 2 |
Norwich | 4 | 3 | 1 |
Nottingham | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Preston | 22 | 3 | 19 |
Ranby | 2 | 1 | 1 |
Risley | 42 | 15 | 27 |
Rochester | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Stafford | 2 | 1 | 1 |
Stocken | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Swaleside | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Swinfen Hall | 31 | 5 | 26 |
Wakefield | 7 | 6 | 1 |
Wandsworth | 2 | 1 | 1 |
Wayland | 2 | 2 | 0 |
Wealstun | 36 | 11 | 25 |
Whitemoor | 11 | 4 | 7 |
Winchester | 3 | 0 | 3 |
Woodhill | 3 | 1 | 2 |
Total | 279 | 92 | 187 |
Ford | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Garth | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Gartree | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Hindley | 13 | 5 | 8 |
Hull | 25 | 4 | 21 |
Humber | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Isis | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Manchester | 3 | 2 | 1 |
Moorland | 3 | 1 | 2 |
Norwich | 4 | 3 | 1 |
Nottingham | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Preston | 22 | 3 | 19 |
Ranby | 2 | 1 | 1 |
Risley | 42 | 15 | 27 |
Rochester | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Stafford | 2 | 1 | 1 |
Stocken | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Swaleside | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Swinfen Hall | 31 | 5 | 26 |
Wakefield | 7 | 6 | 1 |
Wandsworth | 2 | 1 | 1 |
Wayland | 2 | 2 | 0 |
Wealstun | 36 | 11 | 25 |
Whitemoor | 11 | 4 | 7 |
Winchester | 3 | 0 | 3 |
Woodhill | 3 | 1 | 2 |
Total | 279 | 92 | 187 |
Note* The above prisons comprise both those which have been through full rollout and deployed to over 50% of their eligible staff, and also prisons that have only issued as part of an exceptional deployment to a very small number of staff.
Asked by: David Lammy (Labour - Tottenham)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, as of 12 February 2021, which (a) prisons or (b) Youth Offender Institutions have more than 100 suspected or confirmed cases of covid-19 among the prisoner population.
Answered by Lucy Frazer
We have well-developed policies and procedures in place to manage outbreaks and infectious diseases. This means prisons and probation services are well prepared to take immediate action whenever cases or suspected cases are identified. Our measures so far have included restricting regimes, minimising inter-prison transfers and compartmentalising our prisons into different units to isolate the sick, shield the vulnerable and quarantine new arrivals.
Recognising the unique environment in prisons, we routinely test staff and offenders to bolster our defences against the virus, and conduct mass testing in outbreak sites – meaning we can identify more cases, isolate them earlier and move quickly to contain outbreaks and protect the NHS.
The below table shows the establishments which had more than 10 and 50 open positive cases as of 15 February 2021. Open positive cases are individuals who have tested positive and are either still in their isolation period or are still showing symptoms. Establishments that had more than 50 cases are not listed in the more than ten group, and no prisons or YOIs have more than 100 such cases.
More than 10 open cases | Altcourse, Bedford, Berwyn, Birmingham, Brinsford, Buckley Hall, Cardiff, Chelmsford, Drake Hall, Erlestoke, Gartree, Guys Marsh, High Down, Hindley, Lewes, Manchester, Moorland, Pentonville, Peterborough (Male), Ranby, Risley, Rye Hill, Stafford, Stocken, Stoke Heath, Thorn Cross, Wakefield, Wandsworth, Whatton and Wormwood Scrubs. |
More than 50 open cases | Durham, Humber, Isle of Wight, Lindholme, New Hall, Oakwood, Verne, Wayland and Winchester |
It should be noted that although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system. Much of the data collected during the COVID-19 pandemic has been done at pace, with recording practices evolving as we understand more about the requirements and conditions we are facing. In order to present the timeliest information, the data presented in this table have not been subjected to the usual standard of quality assurance associated with official statistics.
Asked by: David Lammy (Labour - Tottenham)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, as of 12 February 2021, which (a) prisons or (b) Youth Offender Institutions have more than 50 suspected or confirmed cases of covid-19 among the prisoner population.
Answered by Lucy Frazer
We have well-developed policies and procedures in place to manage outbreaks and infectious diseases. This means prisons and probation services are well prepared to take immediate action whenever cases or suspected cases are identified. Our measures so far have included restricting regimes, minimising inter-prison transfers and compartmentalising our prisons into different units to isolate the sick, shield the vulnerable and quarantine new arrivals.
Recognising the unique environment in prisons, we routinely test staff and offenders to bolster our defences against the virus, and conduct mass testing in outbreak sites – meaning we can identify more cases, isolate them earlier and move quickly to contain outbreaks and protect the NHS.
The below table shows the establishments which had more than 10 and 50 open positive cases as of 15 February 2021. Open positive cases are individuals who have tested positive and are either still in their isolation period or are still showing symptoms. Establishments that had more than 50 cases are not listed in the more than ten group, and no prisons or YOIs have more than 100 such cases.
More than 10 open cases | Altcourse, Bedford, Berwyn, Birmingham, Brinsford, Buckley Hall, Cardiff, Chelmsford, Drake Hall, Erlestoke, Gartree, Guys Marsh, High Down, Hindley, Lewes, Manchester, Moorland, Pentonville, Peterborough (Male), Ranby, Risley, Rye Hill, Stafford, Stocken, Stoke Heath, Thorn Cross, Wakefield, Wandsworth, Whatton and Wormwood Scrubs. |
More than 50 open cases | Durham, Humber, Isle of Wight, Lindholme, New Hall, Oakwood, Verne, Wayland and Winchester |
It should be noted that although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system. Much of the data collected during the COVID-19 pandemic has been done at pace, with recording practices evolving as we understand more about the requirements and conditions we are facing. In order to present the timeliest information, the data presented in this table have not been subjected to the usual standard of quality assurance associated with official statistics.
Asked by: David Lammy (Labour - Tottenham)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, as of 12 February 2021, which (a) prisons and (b) Youth Offender Institutions have more than 10 suspected or confirmed cases of covid-19 among the prisoner population.
Answered by Lucy Frazer
We have well-developed policies and procedures in place to manage outbreaks and infectious diseases. This means prisons and probation services are well prepared to take immediate action whenever cases or suspected cases are identified. Our measures so far have included restricting regimes, minimising inter-prison transfers and compartmentalising our prisons into different units to isolate the sick, shield the vulnerable and quarantine new arrivals.
Recognising the unique environment in prisons, we routinely test staff and offenders to bolster our defences against the virus, and conduct mass testing in outbreak sites – meaning we can identify more cases, isolate them earlier and move quickly to contain outbreaks and protect the NHS.
The below table shows the establishments which had more than 10 and 50 open positive cases as of 15 February 2021. Open positive cases are individuals who have tested positive and are either still in their isolation period or are still showing symptoms. Establishments that had more than 50 cases are not listed in the more than ten group, and no prisons or YOIs have more than 100 such cases.
More than 10 open cases | Altcourse, Bedford, Berwyn, Birmingham, Brinsford, Buckley Hall, Cardiff, Chelmsford, Drake Hall, Erlestoke, Gartree, Guys Marsh, High Down, Hindley, Lewes, Manchester, Moorland, Pentonville, Peterborough (Male), Ranby, Risley, Rye Hill, Stafford, Stocken, Stoke Heath, Thorn Cross, Wakefield, Wandsworth, Whatton and Wormwood Scrubs. |
More than 50 open cases | Durham, Humber, Isle of Wight, Lindholme, New Hall, Oakwood, Verne, Wayland and Winchester |
It should be noted that although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system. Much of the data collected during the COVID-19 pandemic has been done at pace, with recording practices evolving as we understand more about the requirements and conditions we are facing. In order to present the timeliest information, the data presented in this table have not been subjected to the usual standard of quality assurance associated with official statistics.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 2 June 2020 to Question 49084 on Prisons: Coronavirus, how many (a) cases of covid-19 and (b) covid-19 related deaths there have been in each prison in England and Wales as of 6 July 2020; and if he will publish that data on a weekly basis.
Answered by Lucy Frazer
The Government has put robust measures in place to protect staff and offenders from Covid-19 and introduce ‘compartmentalisation’, to isolate those prisoners with symptoms, shield the vulnerable and quarantine new arrivals.
Overall, prisons are seeing a decline in the numbers of new cases. The data in the table below shows the number of confirmed Covid-19 cases broken down by prison as of Friday 19 June 2020. These figures reflect the total number of recorded positive cases of Covid-19 since the first confirmed cases in mid-March, not the number of live cases. It includes individuals that have recovered.
The numbers reported will be affected by a number of variables, including the availability of testing locally which can result in differences between sites and regions and as self-reported (for staff) through HMPPS management lines for central collation.
Prison | Staff cases | Prisoner cases |
Altcourse | 24 | 14 |
Askham Grange | 4 | 0 |
Aylesbury | 4 | 0 |
Bedford | 6 | ~ |
Belmarsh | 12 | 7 |
Berwyn | 33 | 41 |
Birmingham | 22 | ~ |
Brinsford | 22 | 5 |
Bristol | ~ | 0 |
Brixton | 0 | ~ |
Bronzefield | 6 | ~ |
Buckley Hall | ~ | ~ |
Bullingdon | ~ | 0 |
Bure | ~ | 0 |
Cardiff | 24 | 22 |
Channings Wood | 14 | 9 |
Chelmsford | 10 | ~ |
Coldingley | 5 | ~ |
Dartmoor | ~ | ~ |
Deerbolt | 8 | ~ |
Doncaster | 12 | 9 |
Dovegate | 9 | ~ |
Downview | 4 | 0 |
Drake Hall | 25 | 41 |
Durham | 49 | 4 |
Eastwood Park | ~ | 0 |
Elmley | 6 | ~ |
Erlestoke | ~ | ~ |
Featherstone | ~ | ~ |
Ford | ~ | ~ |
Forest Bank | 5 | 5 |
Foston Hall | ~ | ~ |
Frankland | 12 | ~ |
Full Sutton | 4 | 0 |
Garth | 7 | 0 |
Gartree | 25 | 10 |
Grendon/Spring Hill | 0 | ~ |
Hatfield | ~ | ~ |
Haverigg | ~ | 6 |
Hewell | 42 | 9 |
High Down | 14 | ~ |
Highpoint | 12 | ~ |
Hindley | 10 | ~ |
Hollesley Bay | ~ | ~ |
Holme House | 23 | 16 |
Hull | ~ | 0 |
Humber | 41 | 10 |
Huntercombe | ~ | ~ |
Isis | 4 | 6 |
Isle of Wight | ~ | 0 |
Kirkham | 5 | ~ |
Kirklevington Grange | ~ | 0 |
Leeds | 4 | ~ |
Leicester | 6 | 5 |
Lewes | ~ | 0 |
Lincoln | ~ | 4 |
Lindholme | 10 | 0 |
Littlehey | 9 | 6 |
Liverpool | 20 | ~ |
Long Lartin | ~ | ~ |
Low Newton | 0 | ~ |
Lowdham Grange | ~ | 0 |
Maidstone | ~ | ~ |
Manchester | 19 | 20 |
Moorland | ~ | ~ |
Morton Hall (IRC) | ~ | 0 |
Mount | 9 | 5 |
New Hall | ~ | 5 |
North Sea Camp | ~ | 0 |
Northumberland | 14 | ~ |
Norwich | 6 | 0 |
Nottingham | ~ | 0 |
Oakwood | 25 | 20 |
Onley | 17 | 7 |
Parc | 6 | 7 |
Pentonville | 15 | 4 |
Peterborough (male) | 16 | ~ |
Preston | 43 | 18 |
Ranby | 8 | 5 |
Risley | 20 | 16 |
Rye Hill | 6 | ~ |
Send | ~ | 0 |
Stafford | 5 | 0 |
Standford Hill | 0 | ~ |
Stocken | 13 | ~ |
Stoke Heath | ~ | 4 |
Styal | ~ | 0 |
Sudbury | ~ | ~ |
Swaleside | ~ | 0 |
Swansea | 10 | 12 |
Swinfen Hall | 5 | 6 |
Thameside | ~ | 10 |
Thorn Cross | ~ | 0 |
Usk/Prescoed | 17 | 19 |
Verne | ~ | 0 |
Wakefield | ~ | 4 |
Wandsworth | ~ | 11 |
Wealstun | ~ | 0 |
Whatton | 0 | ~ |
Whitemoor | 10 | 6 |
Winchester | 23 | 4 |
Woodhill | 23 | 0 |
Wormwood Scrubs | 14 | 6 |
Wymott | 14 | 15 |
TOTAL | 972 | 499 |
Notes
- Only prison establishments are included in this table and not Young Offenders Institutions, Secure Training Centres or Secure Children’s Homes.
- The symbol ~ denotes suppressed values of 3 or fewer to avoid the risk of identifying individuals.
The table below shows the number of prisoners who have sadly died and Covid-19 is suspected to be the cause. This data is correct as of Friday 19 June and is broken down by prison.
Prison | Number of prisoner deaths |
Altcourse | 2 |
Bedford | 1 |
Belmarsh | 1 |
Berwyn | 1 |
Channings Wood | 2 |
Durham | 1 |
Gartree | 1 |
Leicester | 1 |
Littlehey | 3 |
Low Newton | 1 |
Manchester | 1 |
New Hall | 1 |
Oakwood | 1 |
Peterborough | 1 |
Rye Hill | 1 |
Sudbury | 1 |
Usk | 1 |
Whatton | 1 |
Winchester | 1 |
Total | 23 |
Notes
- Data for prisoner deaths represents individuals where Covid-19 is suspected to be the cause.
The table below shows the number of prison staff who have sadly died having tested positive for Covid-19. This data is correct as of Friday 19 June and is broken down by prison.
Prison | Number of prison staff deaths |
Hollesley Bay | 1 |
Dovegate | 1 |
Manchester | 1 |
Pentonville | 2 |
Thameside | 1 |
Usk | 1 |
Wymott | 2 |
Total | 9 |
Notes
- Data for staff deaths represents individuals that have been confirmed as having Covid-19, though it is not necessarily the cause of death.
The Ministry of Justice has started publishing a weekly release of Covid-19 related statistics. This includes confirmed Covid-19 cases in prisoners and children in custody; and deaths among prisoners and children in custody where Covid-19 is suspected to be the cause. These statistics provide total numbers across England and Wales, we do not plan to publish these statistics at an establishment level.
The statistics release can be found here each Friday:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/hm-prison-and-probation-service-covid-19-statistics
Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many ‘use of force incidents’ have occurred on the prison estate in each month of the last 12-month period for which data are available.
Answered by Lord Keen of Elie - Shadow Minister (Justice)
The below table is the total number of use of force incidents from April 2019 to March 2020. This data is collated from management information and due to how the data is validated it may not tally with official statistics.
Period | Total |
Apr 2019 | 5415 |
May 2019 | 5746 |
Jun 2019 | 5489 |
Jul 2019 | 5422 |
Aug 2019 | 5264 |
Sep 2019 | 5172 |
Oct 2019 | 5888 |
Nov 2019 | 5202 |
Dec 2019 | 4858 |
Jan 2020 | 5591 |
Feb 2020 | 5487 |
Mar 2020 | 5577 |
We have been introducing PAVA to the adult male estate to help protect staff and prisoners from incidents where there is serious violence, or an imminent or perceived risk of serious violence.
Since the roll out of PAVA began in April 2019, it has been used on 81 prisoners. It has been drawn (but not used) on 36 individuals, totalling 117 prisoners.
The table below shows the number of times PAVA has been drawn or used, broken down by ethnicity. Revised guidance on PAVA guidance was issued in April and the first prison outside the pilot began using PAVA in August. Therefore, data between April and July will only reflect usage at the pilot sites (HMPs Risley, Hull, Preston and Wealstun)
Ethnicity | Deployed | Drawn | Total |
Asian/Asian British | 5 | ~ | ~ |
Black/Black British | 10 | 7 | 17 |
Mixed | 3 | 3 | 6 |
White | 52 | 24 | 76 |
Not recorded | 11 | ~ | ~ |
Total | 81 | 36 | 117 |
The ‘not recorded’ category includes those prisoners who do not disclose their ethnicity on reception into custody.
Prisoners from BAME backgrounds made up 27% of all prisoners. In March 2019, prisoners who declared themselves in the White ethnic group made up almost three quarters (59,911 or 73%) of the prison population in England and Wales. Prisoners who declared their ethnicity as Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic (BAME) represented 22,227 (or 27%) of all prisoners.
PAVA is just one of many tools we give to prison officers to help them do their job more safely, alongside body worn video cameras training, and rigid bar handcuffs. Above all, we know that one of the most effective tools in managing people safely is the interpersonal skills of our staff.
HMPPS is committed and duty bound to eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation, advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not and to foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not.
In response to the Lammy Review, we are updating the training we give to officers to raise awareness among all staff of how biases can affect decision making, and strategies to combat these.
PAVA, as with any use of force, must always only be used if necessary and proportionate to the seriousness of the circumstances. The application of physical techniques, or the use of PAVA, is to be used only when other methods not involving force have been repeatedly tried and failed, or are judged unlikely to succeed, and action needs to be taken to prevent serious injury or harm to prisoners or staff.
Quality assurance and scrutiny of incidents is vital to ensuring that force is used legally and appropriately. Governors will be expected to ensure that scrutiny takes place after any drawing and/or use of PAVA. We have developed a toolkit of resources to assist prisons in maintaining effective scrutiny.
Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many times PAVA spray has been used (1) in total, and (2) against BAME prisoners, on the prison estate since it’s rollout; what proportion of the total prison population are BAME; and what analysis they have undertaken to ensure proportionate use of that spray.
Answered by Lord Keen of Elie - Shadow Minister (Justice)
The below table is the total number of use of force incidents from April 2019 to March 2020. This data is collated from management information and due to how the data is validated it may not tally with official statistics.
Period | Total |
Apr 2019 | 5415 |
May 2019 | 5746 |
Jun 2019 | 5489 |
Jul 2019 | 5422 |
Aug 2019 | 5264 |
Sep 2019 | 5172 |
Oct 2019 | 5888 |
Nov 2019 | 5202 |
Dec 2019 | 4858 |
Jan 2020 | 5591 |
Feb 2020 | 5487 |
Mar 2020 | 5577 |
We have been introducing PAVA to the adult male estate to help protect staff and prisoners from incidents where there is serious violence, or an imminent or perceived risk of serious violence.
Since the roll out of PAVA began in April 2019, it has been used on 81 prisoners. It has been drawn (but not used) on 36 individuals, totalling 117 prisoners.
The table below shows the number of times PAVA has been drawn or used, broken down by ethnicity. Revised guidance on PAVA guidance was issued in April and the first prison outside the pilot began using PAVA in August. Therefore, data between April and July will only reflect usage at the pilot sites (HMPs Risley, Hull, Preston and Wealstun)
Ethnicity | Deployed | Drawn | Total |
Asian/Asian British | 5 | ~ | ~ |
Black/Black British | 10 | 7 | 17 |
Mixed | 3 | 3 | 6 |
White | 52 | 24 | 76 |
Not recorded | 11 | ~ | ~ |
Total | 81 | 36 | 117 |
The ‘not recorded’ category includes those prisoners who do not disclose their ethnicity on reception into custody.
Prisoners from BAME backgrounds made up 27% of all prisoners. In March 2019, prisoners who declared themselves in the White ethnic group made up almost three quarters (59,911 or 73%) of the prison population in England and Wales. Prisoners who declared their ethnicity as Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic (BAME) represented 22,227 (or 27%) of all prisoners.
PAVA is just one of many tools we give to prison officers to help them do their job more safely, alongside body worn video cameras training, and rigid bar handcuffs. Above all, we know that one of the most effective tools in managing people safely is the interpersonal skills of our staff.
HMPPS is committed and duty bound to eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation, advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not and to foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not.
In response to the Lammy Review, we are updating the training we give to officers to raise awareness among all staff of how biases can affect decision making, and strategies to combat these.
PAVA, as with any use of force, must always only be used if necessary and proportionate to the seriousness of the circumstances. The application of physical techniques, or the use of PAVA, is to be used only when other methods not involving force have been repeatedly tried and failed, or are judged unlikely to succeed, and action needs to be taken to prevent serious injury or harm to prisoners or staff.
Quality assurance and scrutiny of incidents is vital to ensuring that force is used legally and appropriately. Governors will be expected to ensure that scrutiny takes place after any drawing and/or use of PAVA. We have developed a toolkit of resources to assist prisons in maintaining effective scrutiny.
Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what safeguards are in place to ensure against the inappropriate use of PAVA spray.
Answered by Lord Keen of Elie - Shadow Minister (Justice)
The below table is the total number of use of force incidents from April 2019 to March 2020. This data is collated from management information and due to how the data is validated it may not tally with official statistics.
Period | Total |
Apr 2019 | 5415 |
May 2019 | 5746 |
Jun 2019 | 5489 |
Jul 2019 | 5422 |
Aug 2019 | 5264 |
Sep 2019 | 5172 |
Oct 2019 | 5888 |
Nov 2019 | 5202 |
Dec 2019 | 4858 |
Jan 2020 | 5591 |
Feb 2020 | 5487 |
Mar 2020 | 5577 |
We have been introducing PAVA to the adult male estate to help protect staff and prisoners from incidents where there is serious violence, or an imminent or perceived risk of serious violence.
Since the roll out of PAVA began in April 2019, it has been used on 81 prisoners. It has been drawn (but not used) on 36 individuals, totalling 117 prisoners.
The table below shows the number of times PAVA has been drawn or used, broken down by ethnicity. Revised guidance on PAVA guidance was issued in April and the first prison outside the pilot began using PAVA in August. Therefore, data between April and July will only reflect usage at the pilot sites (HMPs Risley, Hull, Preston and Wealstun)
Ethnicity | Deployed | Drawn | Total |
Asian/Asian British | 5 | ~ | ~ |
Black/Black British | 10 | 7 | 17 |
Mixed | 3 | 3 | 6 |
White | 52 | 24 | 76 |
Not recorded | 11 | ~ | ~ |
Total | 81 | 36 | 117 |
The ‘not recorded’ category includes those prisoners who do not disclose their ethnicity on reception into custody.
Prisoners from BAME backgrounds made up 27% of all prisoners. In March 2019, prisoners who declared themselves in the White ethnic group made up almost three quarters (59,911 or 73%) of the prison population in England and Wales. Prisoners who declared their ethnicity as Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic (BAME) represented 22,227 (or 27%) of all prisoners.
PAVA is just one of many tools we give to prison officers to help them do their job more safely, alongside body worn video cameras training, and rigid bar handcuffs. Above all, we know that one of the most effective tools in managing people safely is the interpersonal skills of our staff.
HMPPS is committed and duty bound to eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation, advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not and to foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not.
In response to the Lammy Review, we are updating the training we give to officers to raise awareness among all staff of how biases can affect decision making, and strategies to combat these.
PAVA, as with any use of force, must always only be used if necessary and proportionate to the seriousness of the circumstances. The application of physical techniques, or the use of PAVA, is to be used only when other methods not involving force have been repeatedly tried and failed, or are judged unlikely to succeed, and action needs to be taken to prevent serious injury or harm to prisoners or staff.
Quality assurance and scrutiny of incidents is vital to ensuring that force is used legally and appropriately. Governors will be expected to ensure that scrutiny takes place after any drawing and/or use of PAVA. We have developed a toolkit of resources to assist prisons in maintaining effective scrutiny.