Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans she has to reduce the number of attacks on prison staff.

Staff must be able to expect a safe and decent work environment. We will not tolerate any violence against prison officers and prisoners who are violent towards staff will face the full consequences of their actions.

The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 doubled the maximum penalty to up to two years’ imprisonment for those who assault emergency workers, including prison officers.

To protect staff from serious assaults, PAVA – a synthetic pepper spray – is available for use by prison officers in the adult male estate.

Over 13,000 next generation Body Worn Video Cameras are available across public sector prisons, meaning every Band 3-5 officer can wear a camera whilst on shift. This will provide high-quality evidence to support prosecutions against those who commit assaults against staff. All cameras have pre-record capability which will help capture the lead up to events.