Written question asked by Greg Knight (Conservative) on Thursday, 26 October 2006, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 31 October 2006. It was answered by Gerry Sutcliffe (Labour) on Wednesday, 8 November 2006 on behalf of the Home Office.

Prisons

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which prisons employ co-ordinating chaplains; on which pay band each is employed; when each was appointed; and if he will make a statement.

Answer: [holding answer 31 October 2006]: I refer the hon. Gentleman to my answer of 24 October 2006, Official Report, column 1813. Subject to the usual pattern of staff turnover, all prisons will employ a chaplain who undertakes the co-ordinating role. The position is broadly similar in contracted out prisons although titles, pay scales and roles may differ slightly. There is no central record of when each co-ordinating chaplain was appointed to the role. Of those currently in the role in the public sector prisons, 101 are in chaplain pay band one, three in chaplain pay band two, and 12 remain in the former grade of chaplain. A small number of Co-ordinating chaplain roles will be vacant, or filled on a temporary basis, and some operating with multiple sites. Whilst this information is derived from the payroll and personnel databases it is liable to the usual inaccuracies expected in any large scale reporting system.

Secondary information