To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether additional payments were made to prison staff who worked through the strike by prison officers in August 2007; and if he will make a statement. (156759)

Additional payments were made to some prison staff who worked through the Prison Officers Association strike on 29 August 2007. These payments were made in line with the Prison Service performance recognition scheme which allows managers to award a special bonus payment as an exceptional measure to give prompt and tangible recognition to staff who have given an outstanding performance.