VAT is a broad-based tax on consumption. The standard rate of 20 per cent applies to most goods and services, including PCR tests. Medical testing, where it is administered by a registered health professional or where it is supervised by a relevant health professional and supplied as part of a single testing service, is exempt from VAT. The Government also continues to offer free Covid-19 testing for those with Covid-19 symptoms.

The Government recognises that the cost of PCR tests can be high, which is why we are working with the travel industry and private testing providers to see how we can further reduce the costs for the British public, whilst ensuring that travel remains as safe as possible. From 7 January 2022, eligible fully vaccinated passengers will no longer need to take a pre-departure test or self-isolate on arrival in England.

Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) has been working closely with the Department of Health and Social Care, the NHS, and health authority colleagues in England and Wales for a number of months on providing access to Covid-19 tests in a prison environment. More recently, additional testing capacity has been made available to limit the importation of infection into prisons. This includes the regular testing of staff across all prisons and carrying out testing of all new receptions to stop the virus spreading into and between jails.

The most recently published figures included in the HMPPS workforce quarterly statistics provided data for HMPPS staff in post by establishment, as at 30 September 2020. On that date there were 485 directly employed staff in post, by headcount, at HMP Wormwood Scrubs, 91 of which were off sick for non-COVID reasons. The average non-COVID days lost at the prison were lower for the 12 months ending in September 2020, the most recently published data, compared to the prior period ending in March for 2020.

30 staff were absent from work due to self-isolation or quarantine on official health advice on 30th October. This includes both directly and non-directly employed staff. It does not, however, include staff who were off work due to COVID related sickness, caring responsibilities due to COVID or any other COVID related absences.

The table below shows the most recent verified data for HMP Wormwood Scrubs. HMPPS do not hold complete data for the number of individual staff members or prisoners who have been tested. It should be noted that staff numbers include both those directly and non-directly employed. Where values of two or fewer are present they have been suppressed (~) in order to prevent disclosure of personal information. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system. Much of the data collected during the COVID-19 pandemic has been done at pace, with recording practices evolving as we understand more about the requirements and conditions we are facing. In order to present the timeliest information, the data presented has not been subjected to the usual standard of quality assurance associated with official statistics.

Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) has been working closely with the Department of Health and Social Care, the NHS, and health authority colleagues in England and Wales for a number of months on providing access to Covid-19 tests in a prison environment. More recently, additional testing capacity has been made available to limit the importation of infection into prisons. This includes the regular testing of staff across all prisons and carrying out testing of all new receptions to stop the virus spreading into and between jails.

The most recently published figures included in the HMPPS workforce quarterly statistics provided data for HMPPS staff in post by establishment, as at 30 September 2020. On that date there were 485 directly employed staff in post, by headcount, at HMP Wormwood Scrubs, 91 of which were off sick for non-COVID reasons. The average non-COVID days lost at the prison were lower for the 12 months ending in September 2020, the most recently published data, compared to the prior period ending in March for 2020.

30 staff were absent from work due to self-isolation or quarantine on official health advice on 30th October. This includes both directly and non-directly employed staff. It does not, however, include staff who were off work due to COVID related sickness, caring responsibilities due to COVID or any other COVID related absences.

The table below shows the most recent verified data for HMP Wormwood Scrubs. HMPPS do not hold complete data for the number of individual staff members or prisoners who have been tested. It should be noted that staff numbers include both those directly and non-directly employed. Where values of two or fewer are present they have been suppressed (~) in order to prevent disclosure of personal information. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system. Much of the data collected during the COVID-19 pandemic has been done at pace, with recording practices evolving as we understand more about the requirements and conditions we are facing. In order to present the timeliest information, the data presented has not been subjected to the usual standard of quality assurance associated with official statistics.

Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) has been working closely with the Department of Health and Social Care, the NHS, and public health colleagues in England and Wales on providing access to Covid-19 tests in prisons.

On 3 December, which is the earliest confirmed data available for that month, regular front-line staff testing was in place at 117 sites. Such testing is now taking place across the whole of the estate.

Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) has been working closely with the Department of Health and Social Care, the NHS, and health authority colleagues in England and Wales for a number of months on providing access to Covid-19 tests in a prison environment.

Reception and transfer testing for prisoners is now in place in 23 prisons in England and two in Wales. Further sites are in the process of rolling this out, and we intend to have all prisons implementing this testing by the end of the year.

We have also started regular testing of frontline staff, which is taking place in 50 establishments. This will be rolled out across all prisons in England and Wales by the end of the month. Both directly employed and non-directly employed staff who work with prisoners on a weekly basis are eligible for this testing.

Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) has been working closely with the Department of Health and Social Care, the NHS, and health authority colleagues in England and Wales for a number of months on providing access to Covid-19 tests in a prison environment.

Reception and transfer testing for prisoners is now in place in 23 prisons in England and two in Wales. Further sites are in the process of rolling this out, and we intend to have all prisons implementing this testing by the end of the year.

We have also started regular testing of frontline staff, which is taking place in 50 establishments. This will be rolled out across all prisons in England and Wales by the end of the month. Both directly employed and non-directly employed staff who work with prisoners on a weekly basis are eligible for this testing.

Will my hon. and learned Friend explain what she is doing to ensure that prison staff have access to swift testing, to avoid unnecessary periods of self-isolation? Has consideration been given to making mandatory the wearing of face masks by prison officers when on duty?

A testing programme to help understand the spread of Coronavirus in prisons and how it is transmitted through individual establishments and the wider estate began on the 20 July. The study, lasting up to 12 weeks, will take place in 28 prisons and is being carried out in collaboration with the University of Southampton, Public Health England, Office of National Statistics and the Department of Health and Social Care.

We are only half way through the live study and therefore it is too early to provide an assessment of its effectiveness to date.

The Government has put robust measures in place to protect staff and offenders from COVID-19 and introduce ‘compartmentalisation’, to isolate those prisoners with symptoms, shield the vulnerable and quarantine new arrivals.

Overall, prisons are seeing a decline in the numbers of new cases. The data in the table below shows the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases broken down by prison as of Friday 12 June 2020. These figures reflect the total number of recorded positive cases of COVID-19 since the first confirmed cases in mid-March, not the number of live cases. It includes individuals that have recovered.

The numbers reported will be affected by a number of variables, including the availability of testing locally which can result in differences between sites and regions and as self-reported (for staff) through HMPPS management lines for central collation. As figures are as reported by prisons they may be subject to revision.

To date the Ministry of Justice has not collected data on asymptomatic prisoners and staff as it is not the government policy to test asymptomatic cases.

The symbol ~ denotes suppressed values of 3 or fewer (and totals that would allow values of 3 or fewer to be calculated) to avoid the risk of identifying individuals.

*Data is split between Feltham A and Feltham B to account for different age groups

**Data is split between Parc A and B to account for different age groups

***Data is split for male and female sites at Peterborough

The tables below show the number of prisoners and prison staff who have sadly died having tested positive for COVID-19 or having shown symptoms. It is a matter for coroners to determine a cause of death. The data in the tables is correct as of Friday 12 June 2020.

The Government has put robust measures in place to protect staff and offenders from COVID-19 and introduce ‘compartmentalisation’, to isolate those prisoners with symptoms, shield the vulnerable and quarantine new arrivals.

The Department of Health and Social Care is solely responsible for testing for COVID-19 both in the community and in secure settings. As such, we do not hold data on the total number of prisoners and staff who have been tested.

Overall, prisons are seeing a decline in the numbers of new cases. The data in the table below shows the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases broken down by establishment as of Friday 12 June 2020. These figures reflect the total number of recorded positive cases of COVID-19 since the first confirmed cases in mid-March, not the number of live cases. It includes individuals that have recovered.

The numbers reported will be affected by a number of variables, including the availability of testing locally which can result in differences between sites and regions and as self-reported (for staff) through HMPPS management lines for central collation. As figures are as reported by prisons they may be subject to revision.

The symbol ~ denotes suppressed values of 3 or fewer (and totals that would allow values of 3 or fewer to be calculated) to avoid the risk of identifying individuals.

*Data is split between Feltham A and Feltham B to account for different age groups

**Data is split between Parc A and B to account for different age groups

***Data is split for male and female sites at Peterborough

The tables below show the number of prisoners and prison staff who have sadly died having tested positive for COVID-19 or having shown symptoms. It is a matter for coroners to determine a cause of death. The data in the tables is correct as of Friday 12 June 2020.

At present some of this information is only available as internal management information but we are considering how we report publicly on progress in the implementation of the National Framework, using suitably quality assured data and information.

Currently, prison population figures are published weekly: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/prison-population-figures-2020

Additionally, prison population, receptions and releases are published within our Offender Management Statistics quarterly bulletin: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/offender-management-statistics-quarterly;

We also publish deaths, self-harm and assaults in prison custody within our quarterly Safety in Custody statistics bulletin: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/safety-in-custody-statistics;

Prison staffing levels are published in our quarterly HMPPS Workforce Statistics bulletin: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-offender-management-service-workforce-statistics

Data on prisoner receptions, transfers and releases for the requested period are not yet available. As such, we do not hold the specific information requested. The requested data are a subset of Offender Management Quarterly Statistics due for future publication in October 2020.

We can confirm the total number prisoners who have tested positive for Covid-19, which was 482 as of Friday, 5 June. Prisoner tests are conducted on symptomatic individuals on site. The testing capacity and availability can vary between establishments, depending on local circumstances at the time.

We are conducting testing for all consenting staff and prisoners at HMP Littlehey in Cambridgeshire as part of surveillance study to inform future outbreak and infection control within a vulnerable prisoner population.

Further, we will be conducting universal testing of consenting prisoners and staff at 28 prisons across England as part of a surveillance study taken forward in partnership with DHSC, PHE and the University of Southampton. This is one of several studies to be undertaken by the Department of Health and Social Care in England which also includes schools and in the wider community.

Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service has no plans to amend the Covid-19: National Framework for Prison Regimes and Services published on 2 June.

We are, however, examining what additional testing capacity we might bring in to further support our understanding of the importation of infection into prisons, including the asymptomatic testing of new receptions.

The Department of Health and Social Care is solely responsible for testing for Covid-19 both in the community and in secure settings. As such, we do not hold data on staff testing.

On 24 April, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, announced the rollout of Covid-19 testing for all essential workers and symptomatic members of their household, including prison staff, those working in Approved Premises (APs) and probation staff (including private sector service providers) in England. We have referred over 4,000 HMPPS staff for testing to date.

In Wales, testing for prison, AP and probation staff and symptomatic members of their household is being delivered through local resilience forum arrangements and through local health boards.

What we do know is the number of confirmed cases among those who have been tested, which was 947 as of Friday, 5 June. This data is self-reported.

NHS England and Improvement is solely responsible for testing for COVID-19 both in the community and in secure settings. As such, we do not hold data on staff and prisoner testing.

On 24 April, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, announced the rollout of COVID-19 testing for all essential workers and symptomatic members of their household, including prison staff, those working in Approved Premises (APs) and probation staff (including private sector service providers) in England. We have referred over 3,000 HMPPS staff for testing to date.

In Wales, testing for prison, AP and probation staff and symptomatic members of their household is being delivered through local resilience forum arrangements and through local health boards.

For prisoners, tests will be conducted on symptomatic individuals on site. The testing capacity and availability can vary between establishments, depending on local circumstances at the time.

On 24 April, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, announced the rollout of COVID-19 testing for all essential workers and symptomatic members of their household, including prison staff, those working in Approved Premises (APs) and probation staff (including private sector service providers) in England. We have referred over 3,000 HMPPS staff for testing to date.

In Wales, testing for prison, AP and probation staff and symptomatic members of their household is being delivered through local resilience forum arrangements and through Local Health Boards.

For prisoners, tests will be conducted on symptomatic prisoners on site. The testing capacity and availability can vary between establishments, depending on local circumstances at the time.

One of the range of measures HMPPS is taking to limit the spread of the virus in prisons and save lives is to compartmentalise prisoners. This requires establishments to introduce isolation units (for the symptomatic), shielding units (for the vulnerable), and reverse cohorting units (to quarantine new arrivals).

All symptomatic prisoners are advised to isolate; as of Friday, 1 May we had 2,951 prisoners who were or are currently displaying symptoms and of these symptomatic prisoners we have tested 1,100 (37%) of them. We have counted those as tested if they have a positive or negative result recorded or are awaiting results.

The decision on whether to place an individual in an isolation unit is solely a clinical one, based on an assessment of symptoms. Having ‘flu-like’ symptoms alone is not necessarily enough to be placed on an isolation unit.

The Ministry of Justice is following Public Health England (PHE) advice on the shielding of vulnerable staff members and service-users. We are currently considering the risk posed to staff and service-users from black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds as part of our steadfast commitment to safety, as well as our duty of care to our staff and those in our custody.

We do collect data on the ethnic background of prisoners who have a) tested positive for COVID-19 and (b) died due to COVID-19. We also collect data on prison and probation staff who have died due to COVID-19, though this does not include contractors other than employees of private prisons.

The Ministry of Justice recognises the need to capture ethnicity data and has built this into elements of the current reporting requirements. While we do collect self-reported test results from staff members, we are still in the process of linking this data to our HR records in order to assess it by protected characteristics, including ethnicity. The Ministry of Justice will continue to review COVID-19 data collection and how it can be built on and refined in line with General Data Protection Regulation and data protection legislation.

The data in the table below is correct as of 5pm on Tuesday, 12 May.

*Agency staff information not available.