It is a pleasure to see you in the Chair, Mrs Cummins. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Sittingbourne and Sheppey (Gordon Henderson) for securing this important debate, as it highlights the vital role that prison officers play in keeping the public safe and rehabilitating prisoners. Prison staff are vital key workers, with many going above and beyond every day to keep safe the public, their colleagues and those committed by the courts to the care of His Majesty's Prison and Probations Service. The pension age for prison officers is linked to their pension arrangements, which are part of the civil service pension scheme with a state pension age between 65 and 68 depending on date of birth. This was set following recommendations in the 2011 Hutton report, introduced by the Public Service Pensions Act 2013, and applies to all public sector schemes. The role of prison officer is physically demanding, but comparisons with other roles such as firefighters and police officers show they pay more into their pension scheme. Offers were made in 2013 and 2017 for prison officers to purchase a lower pension age from state pension age to 65, which was rejected at ballot. HMPPS takes health and safety very seriously, providing onsite care teams, an employee assistance programme, trauma risk management programmes, and the 'Looking After Our People: The Prison Service Employee Package'. Many factors affect retention, including remuneration, benefits, working conditions, but even with a pension age set to mirror individual's state pension age, the civil service scheme remains one of the best pension schemes available. Retention is important, hence why constructive discussions and accountability in Westminster Hall debates are valuable.