RACHEL REEVES has been warned that cutting prison funding in her spring budget tomorrow would be like “pouring petrol on an already blazing fire.”

With the Chancellor expected to announce swingeing cuts of around 7 per cent across government departments, the Prison Officers’ Association (POA) said that jails are in an “immediate crisis” and urged her to impose a wealth tax instead.

Unions have reacted with anger to government briefings on disability benefit cuts, public-sector job losses and big reductions in departmental budgets.

POA general secretary Steve Gillan said: “The UK’s prison system is already in crisis with jails badly overcrowded and understaffed; we see violence increasing and the prison estate crumbling, all of which leads to frustration and rising tensions within the country’s prisons.

“Cutting prison budgets further will be like pouring petrol on an already blazing fire.”

POA chairman Mark Fairhurst added: “The government must address the immediate crisis in our jails.

“Instead of cutting the Ministry of Justice budget, the Chancellor should be raising revenue with a wealth tax on the hoarded assets of the most affluent.

“Such a tax would bring in a significant amount of money to improve our essential public services such as the prison service.”

Their warnings come as a review by the HM Inspectorate of Prisons published today warned that too many prisoners receive poor responses from staff to simple requests for their basic needs in jail.

Chief Inspector of Prisons Charlie Taylor said: “While the importance of staff-prisoner relationships is generally recognised, it is much less evident that leaders and staff understand their vital role in resolving prisoner problems, either informally on the wings or through a formal, written process.

“This understanding would go a long way towards reducing prisoner frustrations and making prisons safer, more productive places.”

Two new unannounced inspection reports also found shortages of prison officers to escort inmates for emergency medical care.

Inspectors said that prisoner-on-prisoner assaults were high amid failing efforts to curb drug supplies into HMP Forest Bank.

At HMP Deerbolt, they warned: “The over-restrictive and unreliable regime, as well as staff inexperience, frustrated prisoners.

“Patients faced unacceptable barriers to receiving healthcare.

“They were not escorted to appointments, received medicines late and had clinics cancelled.

“A high number of medical emergencies caused by substance misuse compounded these problems.”