Prison Officers Association: Withdrawal from Voluntary Tasks Debate

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Department: Ministry of Justice

Luciana Berger

Main Page: Luciana Berger (Liberal Democrat - Liverpool, Wavertree)

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Point of Order

Prison Officers Association: Withdrawal from Voluntary Tasks

Luciana Berger Excerpts

Personal Independence Payments
Tuesday 28th February 2017

(7 years, 9 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Sam Gyimah Portrait Mr Gyimah
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I will certainly bear that in mind, although the pension deal offered to the POA and prison officers would have been fully funded by the Government.

Luciana Berger Portrait Luciana Berger (Liverpool, Wavertree) (Lab/Co-op)
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Last year 119 prisoners took their own lives in our prisons—the highest level of suicides on record. The POA instruction urges members to withdraw from ACCT—assessment, care in custody and teamwork. While I have every sympathy with the 7,000 POA prison officers who now face these challenges in our prisons, what impact will that withdrawal have on the already dismal mental health support available in our prisons?

Sam Gyimah Portrait Mr Gyimah
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As I said earlier, involvement in ACCT processes and ceasing suicide and self-harm are fundamental to a prison officer’s duty. I would encourage and urge all prison officers to carry on with their tasks as they should.

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