Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of prison officers were equipped with PAVA spray on (a) 1 January 2019, (b) 1 April 2019, (c) 1 July 2019 (d) 1 October 2019 and (e) 1 January 2020.

PAVA spray is being provided to all band 3-5 staff in the adult male estate and it is currently being rolled out across the estate. We are able to provide the number of establishments who have completed their training activity and therefore in a position to issue PAVA to their staff.

1 January 2019, 4 pilot prisons

1 April 2019, 4 pilot prisons

1 July 2019 4 pilot prisons

1 October 2019, 6 establishments (inclusive of the 4 pilot prisons)

1 January 2020, 7 establishments (inclusive of the 4 pilot prisons)

We are giving prison officers body worn cameras, rigid bar handcuffs and PAVA spray to help them do their job more safely.

Staff need appropriate training to use PAVA and only prisons who have rolled out the key worker scheme – which is vital in building relationships between offenders and staff – will receive it.