asked the Minister for Justice the actual expenditure on prison overtime up to 30 September 1986, and the estimated total for the full year; the average overtime per prison officer, and the maximum paid, together with the corresponding hours of overtime worked in each case; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Prison Staff Overtime.
419.
Expenditure on prison overtime to end September 1986 was £9,790,739 inclusive of £741,152 arising from the payment of arrears under the terms of a "special" pay award to prison staff. Total expenditure for the full year is estimated at £13.40 million.
Based on expenditure to the end of September and the average number of prison staff of all grades serving during that period the average overtime per prison officer for the nine months is £5,572. This corresponds to an average of about 590 hours overtime per officer or 15 hours per week. I should emphasise that these figures are averages and that levels of overtime vary between individuals and from prison to prison.
Details of the maximum overtime earnings this year are not available at this stage and their calculation would take up a disproportionate amount of staff time. In 1985, the maximum payment was £20,336.39.
I am conscious of the need to keep overtime working to a minimum. Only essential overtime is worked and this is closely monitored in my Department.
Following a recent thorough review of prison staffing needs the Government has approved 184 new posts in the prison service. Recruitment to fill these vacancies is now proceeding and most of the vacancies will be filled by trained staff by the end of this year. I expect that the recruitment of these additional staff will have an impact on reducing overtime expenditure in 1987 and following years.