Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what (a) interviews and (b) security checks there are for foreign nationals applying for positions in the prison service; and whether their country of origin is a factor.

HM Prison & Probation Service welcomes applications from people wishing to work in prisons in England and Wales. The interview process is the same for both UK and non-UK nationals. Selection is on the basis of fair and open competition, in accordance with the legal requirement set out in the Civil Service Recruitment Principles.

Each candidate is assessed against the criteria published in the job advertisement. Most recruitment is managed locally. In relation to nationality, eligibility is governed by the Civil Service Nationality Rules.

All candidates, regardless of nationality, are subject to robust screening to assess their suitability against the relevant legislative requirements and security-related factors. These checks include confirmation of identity; confirmation of right to work in the UK; a criminal record check, declaration of any connections with offenders; employment reference enquiries; and a financial vulnerability assessment.

All directly-employed prison staff must achieve, as a minimum, security clearance at Enhanced Level 2. HM Prison & Probation Service also undertakes a range of digital vetting and social media checks for new prison officer starters and chaplains.

Non-directly employed staff working in our prisons must achieve, as a minimum, clearance at Enhanced Level 1. In some cases, depending on risk and role, these staff may additionally require either a Standard or an Enhanced Check by the Disclosure and Barring Service. For staff working in prisons in the Long-Term High Security Estate, an additional National Security Vetting Check, at Counter-Terrorist level, is required as a minimum for all staff.