Prison officers' retirement age

That this House recognises prison officers carry out some of the hardest public service work in dangerous and often violent conditions; notes that prison officers are expected to continue to carry out this work until they are 68 years old; acknowledges that people living longer does not always equate to their physical and mental abilities being able to withstand the daily demands faced by prison officers; declares that prison officers’ retirement age should be aligned with that of police officers who can retire at 60 years old; urges the Government to accept that 68 is too old to cope with the physical and mental challenges of being a prison officer; and further urges the Government to give prison officers the same consideration as police officers, who deal with the same type of offenders on a daily basis.