HEALTH AND SAFETY IN THE PRISON SERVICE

That this House is concerned at the cuts to frontline prison staff; recognises that these cuts, coupled with the cuts to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) budget, will make prisons even more unsafe for staff, prisoners and visitors; notes that the members of the Prison Officers Association (POA) face a double threat to their health and safety in the workplace at a time of major unrest and unprecedented levels of violence within the prison system; believes that the imposition of austere cuts in the Prison Service budget will result in an increase of assaults against POA members and a further reduction in staffing levels will make their workplaces even more dangerous places to work and live; further believes that the proposed cuts to the Health and Safety Executive budget will mean that safety improvements that have been achieved, with the assistance of the HSE, will be both eroded by an employer which has a poor health and safety record and tied to the delivery of draconian budget cuts; and calls on the Government to consider again the consequences of its proposed cuts to the budgets of Her Majesty's Prison Service and the Health and Safety Executive.