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1005866
registered interest false more like this
date less than 2018-11-12more like thismore than 2018-11-12
answering body
Ministry of Justice more like this
answering dept id 54 more like this
answering dept short name Justice remove filter
answering dept sort name Justice more like this
hansard heading Prison Officers more like this
house id 1 more like this
legislature
25259
pref label House of Commons more like this
question text To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many officer certificates under Section 89 of the Criminal Justice Act 1991 have been withdrawn by his Department in each month since January 2018. more like this
tabling member constituency Dwyfor Meirionnydd more like this
tabling member printed
Liz Saville Roberts more like this
uin 190561 more like this
answer
answer
is ministerial correction false more like this
date of answer less than 2018-11-21more like thismore than 2018-11-21
answer text <p>With regards to when the Ministry of Justice stopped holding data on the number of certified staff and the reasons for doing so, it may help if I explain that the MoJ has never collected this information. Whilst Section 89 of the Criminal Justice Act 1991 confirms that a Prison Custody Officer (PCO) is approved by the Secretary of State for the purpose of performing escort and custodial duties, it does not oblige the Secretary of State to collect or publish the information requested.</p><p> </p><p>The Secretary of State approves PCOs for the purpose of performing escort functions or custodial duties or both and PCO’s are accordingly authorised to perform them. However, there is not a process in place whereby the Secretary of State formally issues certificates to new PCOs, and as mentioned previously, Section 89 of the Criminal Justice Act 1991 does not oblige the Secretary of State to collect or publish such information.</p><p> </p><p>All staffing matters, including the responsibility for ensuring the availability of sufficiently trained and experienced staff to maintain safe and decent prisons, lies with contractors. There is no requirement in the contracts to agree staffing levels with the Ministry of Justice. Therefore, all staff working in privately managed prisons are fully certified and, as such, the figures we hold, and have provided on several occasions, include the funded posts for fully certified staff.</p><p>As you know, each privately managed prison has a full-time on-site Controller employed by HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS). The Controller has regular review meetings with the contractor against a range of performance indicators that will reflect numbers of staff in post, recruitment, training, sickness, and attrition. Any concerns in relation to these performance indicators are discussed at these meetings. Where action is needed, progress is monitored by the Controller and escalated within HMPPS where appropriate action can be taken in accordance with the contract. This may include a requirement for urgent improvement and/or financial deductions.</p>
answering member constituency Penrith and The Border more like this
answering member printed Rory Stewart more like this
grouped question UIN
190556 more like this
190557 more like this
190560 more like this
190939 more like this
question first answered
remove filter
answering member
4137
label Biography information for Rory Stewart more like this
previous answer version
86234
answering member constituency Penrith and The Border more like this
answering member printed Rory Stewart more like this
answering member
4137
label Biography information for Rory Stewart more like this
tabling member
4521
label Biography information for Liz Saville Roberts remove filter