asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the ratio of prison officer staff to prisoners in closed prisons and each of the dispersal prisons; and by how much the prison officer staff is under strength in closed prisons.

At 1st October 1976 the overall ratio of prison officer class staff to inmates in all closed male prisons, including dispersal prisons, was 1: 2·73. The ratio in each case of the dispersal prisons was:

Albany	…	1: 1·03
Gartree	…	1: 0·92
Hull	…	1: 1·23*
Long Lartin	…	1: 1·13
Parkhurst	…	1: 1·14
Wakefield	…	1: 2·21
Wormwood Scrubs	…	1: 3·11
* At 1st September 1976.

The ratio at Wormwood Scrubs reflects the lower proportion of Category A prisoners to its total population.At the same date, overall prison officer strengths in closed male prisons were up to the current authorised levels.