Written questions by Morris.

Whether she has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the potential merits of ringfencing funding for Buvidal for people released from prison.

The Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) funds local authorities to deliver drug and alcohol treatment services. Local authorities are responsible for commissioning drug and alcohol services according to local need, which includes the provision of Long-Acting Injectable Buprenorphine (LAIB), known under the brand name Buvidal. LAIB is available in all regions in England, including in County Durham and Easington, and for those who have been released from prison. It is a clinical decision whether to offer this treatment, based on an individual assessment and personal choice.The Government has no current plans to ring-fence funding specifically for the provision of LAIB, and the Secretary of State for Justice has not held discussions with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the provision of LAIB for people released from prison. The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is committed to working with health partners to support access to clinical interventions appropriate to individual needs, and MoJ and DHSC work closely to ensure that people leaving prison receive continuity of care. We have a range of interventions to prepare prison leavers to continue their recovery journey in the community, including Health and Justice Partnership Coordinators nationwide, who strengthen links between prisons, probation and treatment providers.

If she will make an estimate of the cumulative number of years of experience held by prison officers in each year since 2010.

The cumulative length of service, in years, held by band 3-5 prison officers in public sector prisons is given in the following table. Figures are given as of 31 December each year. Although national staffing levels have improved, we are focusing on retaining the new intakes of staff. As of December 2024, 39.2% of Band 3-5 prison officers have less than 3 years of experience. As the figures show, over the last 14 years of Conservative Government, experience of prison officers was allowed to decline. The loss of experienced staff has left the Service with a relatively inexperienced workforce, and we are improving our learning and development offer to upskill these newer colleagues. We launched The Enable Programme, which is a dedicated HMPPS workforce transformation programme. It aims to transform prisons over the medium term, through a series of workforce and regime changes that will transform how HMPPS trains, develops, leads, and supports prison staff. This includes new training foundation training and upskilling packages for prison officers at the beginning of their service, and a strengthened succession planning and talent pipeline for prison Governors. We have already began rolling this programme out focusing on the most inexperienced staff, first. Table 1 – Cumulative length of service(1) of band 3-5 prison officers(2) in public sector prisons in England and Wales, as at 31 December each year from 2010 to 2024(3)DateNumber of prison officers in postCumulative length of service of all prison officers (Years)(Full Time Equivalent)31/12/201024,501329,35331/12/201123,054326,56331/12/201221,841326,66031/12/201318,731287,92131/12/201417,795278,25431/12/201518,235272,08631/12/201617,887261,60731/12/201719,901253,41531/12/201822,681247,74131/12/201922,116246,08331/12/202021,501242,47331/12/202122,072239,97031/12/202221,562226,62031/12/202323,198220,22731/12/202423,062215,994Notes1. The length of service in HMPPS is calculated from most recent hire date. Where staff have transferred in from another Government Department or have transferred in through HMPPS taking over a function, length of service is calculated from entry to HMPPS. 2. Band 3-5 Officers includes Band 3-4 / Prison Officers (incl. specialists), Band 4 / Supervising Officers, and Band 5 / Custodial Managers.3. The dates reflect the Full Time Equivalent and cumulative years of service at that particular point of the year.4. Data may not match previous releases as we are now excluding all staff who were not an active member of the workforce and receiving pay on the relevant date from our staff in post counts.

How many incidents of (a) attrition, (b) sickness absence and (c) work-related stress there were for probation officers in each region in the most recent period for which data is available.

Number of leavers, sickness absences and stress-related sickness absences for probation officers in the 12 months to end of December 2024 by region: LeaversSickness absencesOf which, Stress sickness absences1Approved Premises07~East Midlands Probation Service2442450East of England Probation Service4146945Greater Manchester Probation Service1727639Kent, Surrey and Sussex Probation Service1726536London Probation Service7856986North East Probation Service1623930North West Probation Service3344261South Central Probation Service2034347South West Probation Service3035150Wales Probation Service3032268West Midlands Probation Service4746076Yorkshire & the Humber Probation Service4751777Other parts of HMPPS2110~Probation officers total4014,694669 1) There is a sickness reason in the MoJ HR system called 'Stress' but this does not show whether it is work-related or not.2) Includes probation officers working outside of the Probation Service but still within HMPPS.3) ~ Denotes suppressed values of 2 or fewer or other values which would allow values of 2 or fewer to be derived by subtraction. Low numbers are suppressed to prevent disclosure in accordance with the Data Protection Act, 2018.

What estimate she has made of the amount of time off in lieu that was accrued by probation officers in each year since 2021; and how much and what proportion of this time was (a) taken and (b) rolled over.

The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

If she will make an estimate of the cumulative number of years of experience held by probation officers in each year since 2021.

The cumulative length of service, in years, held by all band 4 probation officers is given in the following table. Years’ figures are given as of 31 December each year from 2021 to 2024.The service of Probation Service staff in Probation Trusts prior to the creation of the Probation Service on 1 June 2014 is not included and thus the figures presented here are an underestimate, and do not represent the full cumulative experience of Probation Officers.DateNumber of probation officers in postCumulative length of service of all probation officers (Years)(Full Time Equivalent)31/12/20214,61337,10531/12/20224,64838,33231/12/20234,94841,08831/12/20245,28345,667The length of service in HMPPS is calculated from most recent hire date. Where staff have transferred in from another Government Department or have transferred in through HMPPS taking over a function, length of service is calculated from entry to HMPPS.The dates reflect the Full Time Equivalent and cumulative years of service at that particular point of the year.Data may not match previous releases as we are now excluding all staff who were not an active member of the workforce and receiving pay on the relevant date from our staff in post counts.Data are extracted from large administrative data systems and are based on HR records.

What the capacity of accredited probation programmes is in each region.

A regional breakdown of staff in post vs target staffing has been provided below.Probation RegionTarget Staffing (FTE)Staff in Post (FTE)Staffing Level (%)PS East Midlands82.152.964%PS East of England161.9122.476%PS Greater Manchester68.966.597%PS Kent, Surrey & Sussex78.649.463%PS London134.410679%PS North East6454.485%PS North West104.192.889%PS South Central82.862.575%PS South West136.6110.381%PS Wales107.2103.196%PS West Midlands113.573.164%PS Yorkshire & the Humber9679.283%Overall79% NotesStaff in Post data have been taken from Workforce Planning Tool returns for December 2024.Workforce Planning Tools are subject to inaccuracy as a result of the manual nature with which returns are completed.Targets have been taken from the December 2024 Target Staffing figures as reflected in the Workforce Planning Tools.Data shows the average position across the month, adjusted for joiners and leavers within month.Data includes Internal functions, 'PS Accredited Programmes', 'PS Sexual Offending Programmes' and 'PS Structured Interventions'.

What discussions she has had with bidders for prison education contracts on the New Fair Deal for pensions.

Guidance to bidders on the application of the New Fair Deal was included in the Invitation to Tender. Further information can be found using the following links: Prisoner Education Services Panel (Inc. Core Education) - Find a Tender (find-tender.service.gov.uk) and Procurement for the Provision of Prisoner Education Services (Careers Information, Advice and Guidance (CIAG)) - Find a Tender. Successful bidders will be supported to mobilise new services, including addressing any questions relating to New Fair Deal.

If she will list the providers that have entered into Prison Education Service contracts in the last 12 months.

The information requested is in the public domain. The names of contractors are published via Contracts Finder - GOV.UK. For ease of reference, Prison Education Services entered into in the last 12 months are provided below: Supplier Associated Training Services (ATS) LtdBarber Training & EducationBeating Time (also known as "Choirs Beating Time")Belong: Making Justice HappenBrighton Table Tennis ClubCAP Enterprise (Kent) cicCareer ConnectCatimor Ltd t/a Redemption RoastersChanging TunesChess in Schools and CommunitiesChichester College GroupCity and Guilds of London InstituteCombat2Coffee C.I.CCommunity Arts Projects UKCommunity Training Solutions LimitedComplete skills solutionsCronin Music LtdDominic WaldronElite Project Services LtdFood Behind BarsFTW TrainingFusion21 LtdGet Skills Employment & Training LtdGet Wise Enterprise C.I.CGLA GroupGood VibrationsGREEN SKILLS PARTNERSHIP C.I.C.Hampshire Cultural TrustIndependent sewing machinesIngeus UK LimitedInside Ecommerce Academy CICIpswich and Suffolk Council for Racial EqualitykarenmackeyconsultantsKey Training and Learning LtdKinetic Youth LtdLiberty KitchenLife Cycle UKLincolnshire Action TrustLTE Group (Trading as Novus)Mainstream TrainingMaverick Sounds LtdMilton Keynes CollegeMomentic Limitedn-ergy Group LimitedNorthampton Saints FoundationOdd ArtsOpen College Network London RegionOrmiston FamiliesPeoplePlus Group LtdPrison Advice & Care Trust (pact)RECOOPRIFT Social ReformRMF Construction Training Academy Ltd.Rocketeer Enterprise LtdSaints FoundationSeetec Business Technology Centre LimitedSevenThreeOneShakespeare Un'bardShannon Trustspark InsideSt Giles TrustSynergy Theatre ProjectThe Clink CharityThe Growth Company LtdThe Prison Phoenix TrustThe Restore TrustThe Safety BoxThe Zahid Mubarek TrustUnity Restorative PracticesUniversity of Central LancashireUnlock DramaWANT2ACHIEVE THE ACADEMY LIMITED

What recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of probation officer salaries in the context of the (a) workload and (b) level of stress associated with this role.

The Probation Service this Government inherited was burdened with a workload which often exceeded what staff should be expected to handle. Probation staff are drawn to the profession because it is a vocation, it is right that we recognise the resilience and dedication of our staff.To achieve this and support our hardworking probation staff, in October, we brought forward planned increases to pay, impacting the majority of staff by six months enabling access to improved pay earlier than planned.We shortly intend to engage with Trade Union colleagues about a new pay deal effective April 2025, following the current multi-year deal coming to an end in March 2025.

What recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of probation officer salary levels on staff retention rates.

We are committed to supporting probation staff. We brought forward planned increases to pay, impacting the majority of staff, from 1 October 2024 to 1 April 2024, enabling access to improved pay earlier than planned. These improvements will benefit staff at a time of exceptional pressure for the Probation Service and recognises their resilience and dedication.We shortly intend to engage with Trade Union colleagues about a new pay deal effective April 2025 following the current multi-year deal coming to an end in March 2025. Recruitment and Retention data is a critical piece of information used to inform pay discussions.Probation Officer leaving rates to September 2024 can be found in Table 11 of our published statistics: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/673de4672ff787d4e01b0886/hmpps-workforce-statistics-tables-sep-2024.ods

If she will make an estimate of the level of pay rise that would be required for probation officers for their salaries to be at the same real-terms level they were in 2010.

Probation is currently in a multi-year pay deal covering the period 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2025.This pay deal has provided certainty in pay increases throughout the period while securing necessary reforms to the pay structure helping to resolve some longstanding pay issues. Engagement will shortly commence with Trade Unions about a new pay deal effective 1 April 2025, working within the parameters set by the Civil Service Pay Remit Guidance. We have already brought forward the pay increase for 2024/25 from October to April of that year to provide earlier access to increased pay for our hardworking probation officers, who we acknowledge are under acute pressure.

What recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of prison officer salaries given the levels of (a) risk and (b) stress of this role.

Prison Service staff are some of our finest public servants. Despite their hard work, the Prison Service has been under immense pressure due to an increasing population and ageing estate.One of the first things this Government did upon coming into office was to accept the independent recommendations of the Prison Service Pay Review Body in full. This delivered a pay rise of 5% for Band 3-5 Prison Officers on modernised terms and conditions. This brings the starting salary for an entry level officer (on the national rate, 39 hours with unsocial hours) from £32,851 to £34,494.Given the challenges of working in a prison, we provide extensive mental health support, including a 24-hour helpline, confidential counselling, and online wellbeing services. Our Trauma Risk Management practitioners and Care Teams provide further support following any incidents while on duty.

What recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of prison officer salary levels on staff retention rates.

The 2024/25 Prison Service pay award delivered a pay rise of at 5% for all Band 3 – 5 Prison Officers on modernised terms and conditions. This brings the starting salary for an entry level officer (on the national rate, 39 hours with unsocial hours) from £32,851 to £34,494.As of 30 September 2024, there are 23,571 Band 3-5 Full Time Equivalent Prison Officers in post, and nationally across establishments we are at 99.5% of our Target Staffing Figure (when using hours adjusted FTE). We have seen indications of an improving retention picture in the past two years – as of September 2024, the resignation rate for Band 3-5 prison officers was 8.5%, which is an improvement of 3 percentage points since September 2022 (11.5%).When asked about their primary reason for leaving the prison service, Pay and Reward no longer consistently features in the top five reasons for leaving as cited by staff in exit interviews.

What recent estimate she has made of the level of pay rise required by prison officers for salaries to be at the same real-terms levels as they were in 2010.

Pay for Prison Officers is informed by independent recommendations made by the Prison Service Pay Review Body (PSPRB).HMPPS’ written evidence to the PSPRB for 2025/26 was published on 10 December 2025. This noted that the rate of economic growth since the global financial crisis of 2008 has been substantially lower than in previous decades. Annual real productivity growth (GDP per hour worked) fell by around 1.5% from an average of 2.1% in the decade prior to 2008, to 0.6% between 2010 and 2019. Higher productivity enables higher wages, and only sustained productivity growth over the medium-term can deliver sustainable long-run economic growth and real-terms wage rises.In making their independent recommendations, the PSPRB takes account of the written and oral evidence submitted by Government as well as evidence and representations made by the recognised Trade Unions, including the Prison Officers’ Association. The PSPRB considers a range of factors such as private sector wage growth, inflation, and future Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) forecasts.

What recent estimate she has made of the prison maintenance backlog.

We will shortly be publishing an ad-hoc report on the prison estate conditions survey, which will contain information on the maintenance implications.HMPPS is investing up to £220 million on maintenance this financial year 2024/25. We will continue to inv...

How many magistrates courts closed in each year since 2010.

The table below shows the number of Magistrates’ Courts that have permanently closed in each financial year (FY) since 2010/11. The figures do not include integrations, where workload remained in the local area by transferring to a building in close proxi...

Whether (a) public and (b) private prisons require prison officers to have a minimum level of experience.

We have inherited a prison system crisis. For far too long, our hardworking staff have had to face the brunt of prison overcrowding, which has damaged morale and put the safety and security of staff at risk. This is one of the reasons why we have taken di...

What steps she is taking to increase cumulative prison officer experience.

We have inherited a prison system crisis. For far too long, our hardworking staff have had to face the brunt of prison overcrowding, which has damaged morale and put the safety and security of staff at risk. This is one of the reasons why we have taken di...

What steps she is taking to recruit more prison officers.

We have inherited a prison system crisis. For far too long, our hardworking staff have had to face the brunt of prison overcrowding, which has damaged morale and put the safety and security of staff at risk. This is one of the reasons why we have taken di...

What incentives are in place to retain experienced prison officers.

We have inherited a prison system crisis. For far too long, our hardworking staff have had to face the brunt of prison overcrowding, which has damaged morale and put the safety and security of staff at risk. This is one of the reasons why we have taken di...