Prison libraries play a positive role in supporting rehabilitation and resettlement through offering a range of resources and activities, including literacy and reader development work. However, information about the average number and length of visits to prison libraries, and the extent to which prisoners had access to the library, is not held centrally and would need to be collated through enquiries at every prison. This would incur disproportionate cost.

Staffing levels have been reviewed prison by prison as part of a ‘benchmarking approach’. Benchmark staffing requirements for each establishment have been agreed with the unions and the NAO has commented that the wider strategy for the prison estate is the most coherent and comprehensive for many years. It delivers efficiencies while ensuring that public sector prisons operate safely, decently and securely Benchmarking optimises the skills of staff by introducing new ways of working and puts all prison officers in prisoner facing role.

Benchmark staffing levels have been agreed in 85 public sector prisons. Amongst prison officers, the shortfall of staff in post against benchmarks for these establishments at 30 September 2014 was 4%.

Staffing levels have improved, but there remains a geographical variation and detached duty has been used to manage temporary shortages in particular locations. Such measures are always needed in such a large, widely spread organisation.

In addition HM Prison Service Reserve, consisting of former prison officers, has been established to support capacity changes and unplanned shortfalls in officer numbers.

The Prison Service has been returning to large scale recruitment levels as the period of closures and benchmarking has been coming to an end. As well as prison officers, we are also recruiting Operational Support Grades (uniformed staff who undertake a wide range of security based work) and instructors (who manage prisoners in workshop activities and training).

In March 2010 the Department of Health published the three year cross-Government strategy, Fulfilling and rewarding lives: the strategy for adults with autism in England. The strategy was updated in April 2014 and the Ministry of Justice is one of the signatories. As a result, a variety of different pieces of online training guidance were published for those delivering public services in order to meet the needs of those with autism. The criminal justice system has benefited from this guidance and training, which continues to be available. The guidance can be accessed at the following web address: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/autism-training-resources

A number of charities have developed guidance on Autism specifically for criminal justice professionals, and, the MoJ provides disability and diversity guidance and training, including on learning disabilities that staff can access.

In 2014/15 non-legal members have sat for 419 days within the Immigration and Asylum Chambers between 1 April 2014 and 30 June 2014, the most recent reporting period. This is a reduction of 35 sitting days from the same period in 2013/14 when non-legal members sat for 454 days.

The First-tier Tribunal and Upper Tribunal (Composition of Tribunal) Order 2008 provides that composition of Tribunal panels is a matter for the Senior President of Tribunals and that this power may be delegated to Chamber Presidents. The Immigration and Asylum Chambers make available sufficient sitting days for non-legal members required for the panel compositions requested under the Senior President’s delegated powers and there are no plans to recommend a review at this time.

The Government is clear that restraint should only ever be used against young people as a last resort where it is absolutely necessary to do so and where no other form of intervention is possible or appropriate. Use of restraint is closely monitored in the youth secure estate.

Minimising and Managing Physical Restraint (MMPR) training provides staff with knowledge about recognising which health conditions are associated with an increased risk of harm to a young person during physical restraint, what symptoms and signs should be monitored during restraint, and actions to take should such symptoms occur. MMPR training also instructs staff on how to deal with a medical emergency should one arise during restraint.

In addition, all custody officers in Secure Training Centres receive first aid training as part of their initial training course. In Young Offender Institutions all custodial managers must be trained in first aid.

Data on the number of Race Relations posts is not collected centrally. In 1997, the Prison Service Order (PSO) 2800 The Race Relations Manual made it compulsory for all Governors to appoint a Race Relations Liaison Officer and recommended that this should be at the Principal Officer (middle manager) grade. In September 2006, a revised PSO 2800 mandated that Prison Governors would recruit a Race Equality Officer (REO) based on competence and the skills needed to perform the role.

In April 2011, Prison Service Instruction (PSI) 32/2011 Ensuring Equality was published, which removed all mandatory orders to have a specific post for race equality. It mandated that all prisons should have a senior manager with lead responsibility for coordinating work on all equality related issues.