Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Prison Staff Vacancies: England and Wales

Tuesday 12 September 2023 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Greg Smith asked about staff vacancies in prisons in England and Wales.
  • The Minister reported an increase of 700 full-time equivalent prison officers and youth justice workers in the year to June 2023.
  • Greg Smith highlighted the impact of staff shortages at HMP Woodhill near his constituency.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Greg Smith Con Mid Buckinghamshire
Justice & Courts
Context

The MP is concerned about the number of staff vacancies in prisons, particularly given a recent report indicating severe issues at HMP Woodhill due to staffing shortages.

Question

How many staff vacancies there are in prisons in England and Wales?

Answer from Damian Hinds

We have recently seen indications of an improving national staffing picture in prisons, with an increase of 700 full-time equivalent bands 3 to 5 prison officers and youth justice workers in the year to June 2023.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Number of staff vacancies is not provided; instead, an improvement trend was noted.

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Q2 Greg Smith Con Mid Buckinghamshire
Policing & Resources Justice & Courts
Context

The MP refers to a damning report about HMP Woodhill highlighting staffing shortages as a critical issue. He raises concerns that the government's plans for building a new mega-prison in his constituency are unworkable given the ongoing recruitment challenges at existing prisons.

Question

I am grateful to my right hon. Friend for that answer, but the damning report into HMP Woodhill, just adjacent to my constituency, was clear that staff shortages were a huge factor in the serious issues that prison faces. It is equally well known that HMP Spring Hill and HMP Grendon in my constituency have faced recruitment challenges. In that light, if we cannot staff the prisons that we do have, surely it is unworkable to carry on with my right hon. Friend's totally unwanted plans to build a new mega-prison in my constituency and that planning appeal should be withdrawn.

Answer from Damian Hinds

I am grateful to my hon. Friend, who takes a close interest in these matters, and rightly so, particularly on behalf of his constituents who are prison officers and other staff in and around his constituency. I can assure him we are working urgently to address the findings and the urgent notification at Woodhill. I think we will come on to that a little later in questions from hon. Friends. The Lord Chancellor will, as ever, be publishing an action plan by the end of the month. We also have active recruitment campaigns in place for Grendon and Spring Hill and are seeking to increase numbers by incentivised recruitment.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The planning appeal was not addressed; instead, the government's efforts to address staffing issues were highlighted.

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