Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) HMPPS and (b) non-directly employed prison staff tested positive for covid-19 between March 2020 and December 2021.

Data on the number of both directly and indirectly employed HMPPS staff, testing positive for Covid-19 is provided on GOV.UK as part of the HMPPS workforce quarterly series. Figures for non-directly employed staff, however, will include some non-prison staff. The most recent release was published 17 February and covers the period to the end of January 2022. It can be accessed via the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/her-majestys-prison-and-probation-service-workforce-quarterly-december-2021.

Our strategy for managing Covid-19 in prisons continues to be guided by our National Framework, which sets out the basis for decisions on the necessary level of Covid controls over time. We also work closely with the UK Health Security Agency and have continued to adjust Covid controls in prisons as the risk has changed during the pandemic. We will transition prisons off the National Framework when it becomes safe to do so.