Commons Sense

House of Commons · Westminster Hall

Prison Officers: Pension Age — [Sir Charles Walker in the Chair]

16 November 2021 · 12 other contributors · 8,635 words

Opened by Gordon Henderson Con Sittingbourne and Sheppey

Responding minister: Victoria Atkins

Justice & CourtsEmploymentBenefits & Welfare

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Gordon Henderson raised concerns about prison officers: pension age — [sir charles walker in the chair] in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.

Key points

  • Concerns raised about prison officers facing dangerous and stressful work conditions leading to a higher pension age of 68 compared to 60 for other emergency service workers.
  • There were 8,476 assaults on prison staff in the year ending September 2020, with 35% resulting in serious injuries requiring hospitalization or medical treatment.
  • The government is urged to engage in talks with the Prison Officers Association to discuss a more equitable pension arrangement reflecting the nature of prison officer work.

Key requests to Government

I urge the government to initiate new talks with the Prison Officers Association to discuss a more equitable pension arrangement that reflects the dangerous and stressful nature of prison officer work, possibly allowing them to retire at age 60 or a similar agreement if they are willing to make higher contributions towards their pensions.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Gordon Henderson Con Sittingbourne and Sheppey

I am concerned about the pension age for prison officers being raised to 68, which is more than six years later than other emergency service workers such as police and firefighters who can retire at 60. Prison officers face dangerous and stressful work conditions including violence, hostility, mental health challenges from inmates, physical demands like carrying heavy equipment, exposure to drug fumes, and psychological stress. There were 8,476 assaults on prison staff in the year ending September 2020, with 35% being serious injuries requiring hospitalization or medical treatment for concussion, internal injuries, fractures, burns, stabbing, crushing, extensive bruising, black eye, broken nose, lost or broken teeth, cuts needing sutures, bites, and temporary blindness. Prison officers are also denied access to essential protective equipment like utility vests and body-worn cameras compared to their police counterparts.

Other contributors (12)
  • Dan Carden Lab Liverpool Walton

    Mr Carden interjected to express support for treating prison officers equitably with police, citing local feedback from a constituent about working conditions in prisons and the need for fairness in retirement age policies.

  • Greg Knight Con East Yorkshire

    Congratulates the hon. Friend on securing the debate and stresses the case for revisiting the retirement age for prison officers, advocating for their safety and protection. Greg Knight asked the Minister about ensuring prison officers have adequate protection while at work, including body-worn cameras and pepper spray usage in specific situations.

  • Gregory Campbell DUP East Londonderry

    Agrees that an increasing prevalence of drugs in prisons makes the job more dangerous and supports the campaign for a lower pension age.

  • Ian Lavery Lab Blyth and Ashington

    Declares interest as a life member of the Prison Officers Association and questions whether MPs at or around 60 years old could perform the dangerous job of prison officers, highlighting Lord Hutton's report. Mr Lavery criticised the current pension age for prison officers, stating it is unfair compared to police and firefighters who retire at 60. He highlighted stress levels in prisons due to violent incidents and urged a meeting with the Prison Officers Association to address this issue. Ian Lavery asked for an intervention but no additional content was provided.

  • John Martin McDonnell Lab Hayes and Harlington

    Reminded colleagues of previous debates on firefighters' and police pension ages, arguing that prison officers should not be discriminated against due to the physical demands of their job. Suggested actuarial work done for firefighters could apply similarly to prison officers.

  • Karl Turner Lab Kingston upon Hull East

    Expressed concern about the safety and fairness of expecting prison officers over 60 to manage violent prisoners. Urged the Government to negotiate constructively on this issue.

  • Liz Saville-Roberts PC Dwyfor Meirionnydd

    Ms Saville-Roberts questioned the sustainability of recruiting new prison officers with poor pay and a high pension age, citing a loss of over 86,000 years of experience since 2010. She also raised concerns about staff safety, highlighting an incident where an officer nearly died after being attacked at HMP Swansea. Liz Saville-Roberts requested a commitment from the Minister to meet with the Prison Officers Association to discuss reopening negotiations on pension age.

  • Lyn Brown Lab West Ham

    Lyn Brown highlighted the physical and mental toll on prison officers, citing a significant increase in assaults on staff compared to pre-2010 levels. She stressed that the pension age rise affects recruitment and retention of experienced staff, which is crucial for maintaining safety within prisons.

  • Martyn Day

    Mr Day supported reducing the retirement age for prison officers to 60, citing figures showing 7,612 assaults on staff in prisons annually. He argued that prison work is a dangerous job akin to emergency services and criticised the Government's lack of response to previous concerns.

  • Mary Foy Lab City of Durham

    Ms Foy expressed concern about the pension injustice faced by prison officers, who despite having similar protections as police constables under the Prison Act 1952, are required to work until age 68. She highlighted the increasing violence against staff since mass cuts in staffing and called for a negotiation on the issue of pension age.

  • Rachel Hopkins Lab Luton South and South Bedfordshire

    Critiqued the lack of evidence from ministers on safety for prison officers over 60 in a dangerous environment. Called for pension age negotiations as a stand-alone issue, noting that low pay contributes to high staff turnover. Rachel Hopkins requested an intervention but no additional content was provided.

  • Ronnie Cowan

    Expresses concern over the Government's stance on treating prison officers as equals to police officers and firefighters, particularly regarding the risk of injury or death.

Government Response

Victoria Atkins

The Minister thanked the hon. Member for Sittingbourne and Sheppey for his tireless advocacy on behalf of prison officers and staff, expressing a willingness to engage constructively with unions such as the Prison Officers Association on issues like pay, pensions, and working conditions. She highlighted the importance of recognising the dangerous environment that prison officers face daily and pledged to continue engaging with the POA in the future. The Minister also discussed the current pension arrangements for prison officers, noting that lowering the pension age would likely necessitate higher contributions. Additionally, she emphasised ongoing security investments including £100 million investment in a prison security package featuring X-ray scanners, body-worn cameras, and PAVA spray.

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