Prison whistleblowing hotline

That this House notes that prison employers must by law take all reasonably practicable steps to ensure the health and safety of their staff; further notes that eight national trades unions representing the majority of prison staff have called for new best-practice safety measures, including a whistleblowing hotline, before current coronavirus restrictions are relaxed; agrees with those unions that there can be no going back to the intolerably high levels of violence suffered by prison staff before the current restrictions; further agrees that the Prison Service should adopt a co-ordinated approach to reducing health and safety risks by working constructively with all prison unions, including those representing non-directly employed staff; urges the Government to commit to intervening if necessary to prevent prison governors or contractors from enforcing unsafe working practices, both during and after the coronavirus pandemic; and further urges the Government to support a whistleblowing hotline and other proposed union measures, including a know-your-rights campaign, proper protection for workers who raise health and safety concerns and a commitment not to sanction staff who are genuinely unable to return to the workplace due to this pandemic.