Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he has taken to monitor the effects of conditions in HMP Wandsworth on the health and well-being of prisoners and staff.
Answered by Edward Argar
The Prison Group Director for London is taking active measures to support the health and well-being of staff and prisoners at HMP Wandsworth. He conducts regular visits to assess and monitor conditions at the prison. Accompanied by lead representatives for Health, Safety and Wellbeing at His Majesty’s Prison & Probation Service, he meets regularly with the Governor to discuss any actions that need to be taken to address identified concerns.
In addition, monthly tripartite meetings are held between Regional Estates, Finance and Health and Safety representatives, where decency is a standing agenda item. A Senior Safety Lead has recently been appointed to support local initiatives and work to improve safety outcomes for prisoners. A Task and Finish Group has recently been set up to address concerns about the physical environment of the in-patient unit at HMP Wandsworth, to improve infection prevention and control.
Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when he plans to open the healthcare centre at HMP Wandsworth.
Answered by Edward Argar
The healthcare unit is expected to open in the coming weeks, once a number of IT hardware issues and telephony have been resolved. Its delay in opening is due to supply chain issues which we are working to expediate.
The cost to the public purse of this delay is being evaluated and cannot be confirmed at present.
The refurbishment of healthcare facilities at HMP Wandsworth is part of the wider decisive action we are taking to improve safety and conditions at the prison, including boosting staffing levels and investing millions into upgrades such as rolling out new CCTV, installing new windows and repairing roofs.
Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, for what reason the healthcare centre at HMP Wandsworth did not open in October 2021; and what the cost to the public purse was of the change in opening date.
Answered by Edward Argar
The healthcare unit is expected to open in the coming weeks, once a number of IT hardware issues and telephony have been resolved. Its delay in opening is due to supply chain issues which we are working to expediate.
The cost to the public purse of this delay is being evaluated and cannot be confirmed at present.
The refurbishment of healthcare facilities at HMP Wandsworth is part of the wider decisive action we are taking to improve safety and conditions at the prison, including boosting staffing levels and investing millions into upgrades such as rolling out new CCTV, installing new windows and repairing roofs.
Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many referrals for secondary healthcare treatment for prisoners at HMP Wandsworth were made in each year since 2010.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
NHS England has advised that it is unable to provide information prior to 1 September 2019, due to a new contract commencing with a new healthcare provider. The total number of prisoners at HMP Wandsworth referred to secondary healthcare treatment between 1 September 2019 and 11 March 2024, is 661. The number of these referrals which were missed is not held.
Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many referrals for secondary healthcare treatment for prisoners at HMP Wandsworth were missed in each year since 2010.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
NHS England has advised that it is unable to provide information prior to 1 September 2019, due to a new contract commencing with a new healthcare provider. The total number of prisoners at HMP Wandsworth referred to secondary healthcare treatment between 1 September 2019 and 11 March 2024, is 661. The number of these referrals which were missed is not held.
Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what was the cost of the provision of healthcare at HMP Wandsworth in the last 12 months.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
The total cost of the contract that NHS England has commissioned for healthcare services at HMP Wandsworth, provided by Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust between 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024, is £14,008,787.
Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of the provisions of the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023 on the ability of the Prison Officers Association to represent their members in workplace disputes.
Answered by Edward Argar
The provisions of the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023 (the 2023 Act) do not extend to prison officers, who are not included in the categories listed in section 234B(4) of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992, as amended by the Schedule to the 2023 Act. Under section 127 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, however, it would be unlawful for a trade union representing prison officers to induce its members to strike.
As prison officers do not have a right to strike, the Prison Service Pay Review Body (PSPRB) is an independent body which acts as a compensatory mechanism. The PSPRB conducts its own research and considers evidence submitted by the Prison Officers Association before making recommendations to the Government. The Government would only depart from those recommendations in exceptional circumstances.
Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of risk assessments at HMP Wandsworth.
Answered by Edward Argar
A review of security risk assessment processes commenced following the alleged escape from HMP Wandsworth on 06 September 2023. This work continues to be led by the Governor, supported by colleagues from the Directorate of Security. This will include a longer-term review of the Local Security Strategy to ensure that guidance is up to date and fit for purpose.
The Prison Group Director has increased the frequency of his visits to HMP Wandsworth to maintain senior manager oversight, and to review progress against current security action plans that have been produced following investigations into the escape.
Immediate action was taken after the alleged escape from HMP Wandsworth to review the processes for workplace risk assessments for prisoners at HMP Wandsworth. A workplace allocation action plan was produced and remains in place, to ensure senior manager oversight and monitoring of processes to allocate prisoners to work activities at Wandsworth.
Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of prison officers are up-to-date on Control and Restraint training, as of 1 March 2024.
Answered by Edward Argar
The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prison officers were on active duty at HMP Wandsworth, on the first Monday of each month for the last 12 months.
Answered by Edward Argar
The table below shows the number of staff on active duty at HMP Wandsworth in the morning (AM), the afternoon (PM) and on evening duty (ED) of the first Monday of each month, from March 2023 until February 2024. An individual member of staff may have completed more than one period of duty during the day.
The data include all Band 3 staff attending who were scheduled to attend, including those undertaking external escort duty. They do not include any staff on training, restricted duties or undertaking bed watch duties. In addition to those for scheduled staff, separate details are provided of Band 3 officers who attended under Payment Plus arrangements.
6 March | 4 April | 1 May | 5 June | 3 July | |||||||||||
On active duty | AM | PM | ED | AM | PM | ED | AM | PM | ED | AM | PM | ED | AM | PM | ED |
Scheduled | 102 | 64 | 13 | 87 | 75 | 21 | 83 | 77 | 21 | 83 | 74 | 25 | 99 | 85 | 29 |
Payment Plus | 5 | 13 | 15 | 13 | 15 | 13 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 13 | 11 | 5 | 10 | 9 |
7 Aug | 4 Sept | 2 Oct | 6 Nov | 4 Dec | |||||||||||
On active duty | AM | PM | ED | AM | PM | ED | AM | PM | ED | AM | PM | ED | AM | PM | ED |
Scheduled | 75 | 73 | 24 | 81 | 86 | 30 | 91 | 87 | 31 | 88 | 83 | 31 | 93 | 92 | 29 |
Payment Plus | 4 | 11 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 9 | 5 | 9 | 11 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 4 | 13 | 9 |
1 Jan | 5 Feb | |||||
On active duty | AM | PM | ED | AM | PM | ED |
Scheduled | 73 | 70 | 22 | 90 | 81 | 22 |
Payment Plus | 0 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 8 |
Active recruitment has been in progress at HMP Wandsworth, in recognition of the Band 3 prison officer staffing position. A steady increase of new starters has enabled the prison to achieve its target staffing figure of 315 Band 3 prison officers. Some of these new staff are still at training college but will be able to commence full duties within the next six weeks.