(The Lord
Chancellor and Secretary of State for
Justice): I am today announcing the
government’s decision on pay rises for prison staff.
The Prison Service Pay Review Body has made its recommendations
for the 2019-20 pay award and we are accepting these
recommendations in full.
Last year, the government announced the largest pay rise in
nearly a decade for almost a million public sector workers. Today
we are building on that with a pay award that is worth at least
2.2% for all prison staff and 3% for our Band 3 officers on the
‘Fair and Sustainable’ terms and conditions. This is the second
year in a row we have put in place awards over 2% for our prison
staff and this year’s settlement represents the highest
consolidated increase for over 10 years.
In addition to the headline increases we will also implement the
totality of the other Review Body recommendations. This
represents a full package for staff that will support us to
recruit and retain prison officers and managers, contributing to
safer prisons and reduced reoffending. In addition to their pay,
prison officers continue to benefit from defined benefit
pensions, which are amongst the most generous available.
For a Band 3 officer on the modern terms and conditions the pay
settlement is worth on average £1,277.
Alongside this investment in pay, prison officers are being
trained to be more effective and gain experience in critical
areas. The key worker role within the new offender management in
custody model is currently being rolled-out across prisons. This
has been enabled by the investment in additional Band 3 officers,
and supports officers at this grade to build more effective
relationships with prisoners in order to improve safety and help
reduce reoffending.
Thanks to the government’s balanced approach to public finances –
getting debt falling as a share of our economy, while investing
in our vital services and keeping taxes low – we are able to
continue our flexible approach to pay policy, allowing us to
attract and retain the best people for our prisons.
We consider all pay awards in light of wider pressures on public
spending. Public sector pay needs to be fair both for public
sector workers and the taxpayer. Around a quarter of all public
spending is spent on pay and we need to ensure that our public
services remain affordable for the future.
It is also vital that our world class public services continue
modernising to meet rising demand for the incredible services
they provide, which improve our lives and keep us safe.
