Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she plans to take to help tackle violence in prisons.

Reducing violence in prisons is a key priority, and we are working hard to make prisons as safe as possible.

A range of security measures are in place to clamp down on illicit items such as weapons and drugs, that can fuel prison violence. This includes X-ray body scanners at every closed adult male prison, and enhanced gate security at 42 high-risk prisons. In addition, Body Worn Video Cameras are provided to all band 3-5 prison officers on shift to prevent violence and provide valuable evidence for prosecution when it does occur.

To ensure our staff are equipped with the right tools to protect themselves and prisoners from serious assaults, PAVA – a synthetic pepper spray – has been rolled out for use by prison officers in the adult male estate alongside SPEAR, a personal safety training package.

We continue to support those at risk of violence through an estate-wide case management approach and we are providing targeted support to a number of adult male prisons with the highest rates of assaults.