Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate his Department has made of the number of (a) prisoners and (b) prison staff injured in violent incidents in prisons in the latest period for which figures are available.

The latest figures for assaults on prisoners and on prison staff can be seen in the Safety in Custody summary tables at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/safety-in-custody-quarterly-update-to-june-2018.

While we collect details of the injuries sustained, I regret that it will not be possible in the time available to separate those sustained by prisoners from those sustained by staff. I will write to the Hon Member as soon as the more detailed figures become available.

To improve safety, we have recruited 4,300 new prison officers over the last two years, with 1,400 more due to begin training soon. We are investing an extra £70 million to improve safety, security and decency, and we are equipping officers with PAVA incapacitant spray to help prevent serious harm to staff and prisoners when dealing with violent incidents. We are also tackling the drugs that we know are fuelling much of the violence in custody. This includes spending on new x-ray scanners, drug-detection dogs, phone-blocking technology and dedicated search teams.

In addition, the Government supported the recent Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act, which increases sentences for those who attack emergency workers, including prison officers.