---

Scottish Office;Scottish Prison Service

Answer

Ms Roseanna Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many prison officers, by grade, there were (a) in Scotland and (b) in each prison in Scotland in each year from 1990-96; and if he will make a statement. [15890] Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: The subject of the question relates to matters undertaken by the Scottish Prison Service. I have asked its chief executive, Mr. E. W. Frizzell, to arrange for a reply to be given. Letter from E. W. Frizzell to Ms Roseanna Cunningham, dated 17 February 1997: Lord James Douglas-Hamilton has asked me to reply to your question regarding the number of prison officers, by grade, in Scotland and in each prison in Scotland in each year from 1990-96. The Scottish Prison Service introduced a new staffing structure on 1 April 1995. This resulted in the abolition of the previous grading system, and the introduction of new pay bandings covering operational, administrative and support staff. At the same time nursing, works, and administrative functions were civilianised. An accurate comparison of post-April 1995 figures for "prison officer" numbers with those prior to that date is not possible. The attached table shows in total and for each establishment the total number of Basic Grade Officers, Senior Officers, and Principal Officers at 31 March for each year from 1990-94. A subdivision by grade cannot be obtained from the current database. The table also shows the current total, with figures for 1995 and 1996, of operational staff posts in those pay bands which from 1 April 1995 are broadly comparable to the grades described above. It should be noted that the 1990-94 figures include in each year approximately 600 "officers" in the subsequently civilianised nursing, works and administrative functions which are excluded from the 1995, 1996 and 1997 figures. Scottish prison service--prison officer grades or equivalent from 1990-97 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Establishment {1}1990 {1}1991 {1}1992 {1}1993 {1}1994 1995 1996 1997 Aberdeen 100 112 116 127 129 106 108 124 Barlinnie 491 476 449 516 496 418 389 448 Castle Huntly 50 62 70 74 71 59 43 55 Cornton Vale 176 167 169 179 177 158 152 173 Dumfries 107 120 141 136 141 129 120 128 Dungavel 49 56 61 67 71 54 39 56 Edinburgh 349 344 358 397 399 339 331 361 Friarton 49 44 49 51 48 37 34 41 Glenochil 356 374 389 410 415 348 319 371 Greenock 123 136 144 155 160 134 122 142 Inverness 86 82 79 88 88 77 81 84 Longriggend 143 141 154 159 158 137 141 145 Low Moss 112 119 130 142 147 134 116 127 Noranside 50 54 68 65 70 55 43 52 Penninghame 27 29 32 33 35 25 20 30 Perth 310 329 360 370 379 319 307 317 Peterhead 265 250 232 246 236 193 187 216 Polmont 229 248 277 294 292 256 234 258 Shotts 332 348 394 395 407 388 331 358 Total 3,404 3,491 3,672 3,904 3,919 3,366 3,117 3,486 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. {1} Includes approximately 600 officers in the nursing, works and administration functions which are not included from 1995 onwards.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

15890; 290 c433-6W

Session

1996-97

Subjects

Prisons Staff Scotland