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<p>We will never compromise on the safety of those in our care, and staff are trained
to respond to emergency situations in a timely, appropriate manner. The Government
is taking unprecedented action to improve safety in custody. We have invested significantly
in increasing staff numbers, recruiting an additional 4,366 (full time equivalent)
prison officers between October 2016 and June 2019, surpassing our original target
of 2,500. We will continue to recruit officers to ensure prisons are safe and decent.</p><p>
</p><p>The continued reduction of fires across the prison estate is of significant
importance to HMPPS with an inaugural national arson reduction workshop held in April
2019. The objectives of the workshop were to develop national good practice to prevent
fire setting, and to form an Arson Reduction Working Group. The Working Group met
in June and will meet again this month.</p>
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