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Advice from HM Government and PHE around social distancing has resulted in DHL having to reduce the numbers of prisoners in their workshops.
Some of the DHL employees in the workshops have been raising unsubstantiated concerns about our ability to provide a canteen service this week.
Following the intervention of Silver Commanders and the support of Local Bronze we are confident that prisoners will receive a near normal service.
However, it is the case aligned with the systems currently operating in supermarkets in the communities we have had to introduce some caps on the number of items available to purchase on some lines. Where individual issues arise for an odd missing product there will be some contingency stocks available to each site to supplement where possible.
We are extremely grateful for the support and flexibility from Governors of prisons with packing sites and we are working with DHL around the working arrangements for next week and beyond. We are presently mobilising two large warehouses in Gloucester and Knowsley to support our Canteen provision and to safeguard the supply.
Week commencing 29th March, canteen orders will not be able to include fruit or items that need to be stored in a fridge or freezer. Fruit will still be supplied from the kitchen as part of the daily food provision. The following week (commencing 5th April) we will reintroduce a good selection of fruit items.
We will require ongoing support from prisons as we have seen this week to keep the service as near to normal in the coming weeks and will keep prisons up to date via operational Guidance. If there are any expected changes in this position we will inform Gold/Silver Commanders as a priority.