Written questions by Mullan.

What estimate he has made of the number of prisoners in custody serving standard determinate sentences, both in total, and broken down by offence, on the latest date on which the data is available.

Awaiting answer.

What recent assessment they have made of the adequacy of the existing membership fee threshold for participants in the CASC scheme.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the findings of the research commissioned by the 1001 Critical Days Foundation on screen use among babies and children under two.

Awaiting answer.

Whether the CPS has guidance on whether and in what manner it should publicly comment on controversial public policy matters.

Awaiting answer.

Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to improve access to Government support for grassroots sports facilities; and what action it is taking to help increase the capital investment available for the development of new 3G pitches.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of a long term, dedicated visa route for overseas shearers to ensure timely shearing and protect livestock welfare.

The Government recognises the importance of safe and timely shearing to protect animal welfare. The sheep shearing concession has been operating for 15 years and it is reasonable to expect that over this period a long-term sustainable solution had been found to identify this workforce gap. Therefore, having considered the potential merits, and in line with the plans set out in the White Paper “Restoring Control over the Immigration System,” published in May 2025, the Government does not consider a long-term route is required.The Government expects the sector to meet these needs through the domestic workforce and individuals with existing general work rights, including dependants or Youth Mobility Scheme visa holders, who are free to take up work as a sheep shearer subject to the relevant visa restrictions.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of deep geothermal energy on the decarbonisation of NHS estates.

We recognise the potential for deep geothermal energy to provide low‑carbon heat to parts of the National Health Service estate. However, opportunities depend on local geology, and a number of practical constraints need to be considered. The Department continues to work with the wider Government and NHS England to improve understanding of how all low‑carbon technologies, including forms of geothermal energy, can support the NHS in contributing to the Government’s net‑zero ambitions.

What steps he is taking to support the integration of geothermal heat into local heat networks.

In homes and buildings, a heat network is required to make use of deep geothermal heat. The Warm Homes Plan set out our support for low-carbon heat networks, including Heat Network Zoning and £1bn in investment over the course of this Parliament. It is for heat network developers to select the heat sources for their network, and this may include deep geothermal where it can be proven to provide affordable low-carbon heat. There is limited evidence to indicate that deep geothermal heat could be delivered affordably across the UK. The government is however supporting several new schemes and will monitor the progress of these schemes before taking any steps to change regulations for deep geothermal heat developments or support redeployment of skills.

What steps his Department is taking to streamline planning and regulatory processes for deep geothermal heat developments.

In homes and buildings, a heat network is required to make use of deep geothermal heat. The Warm Homes Plan set out our support for low-carbon heat networks, including Heat Network Zoning and £1bn in investment over the course of this Parliament. It is for heat network developers to select the heat sources for their network, and this may include deep geothermal where it can be proven to provide affordable low-carbon heat. There is limited evidence to indicate that deep geothermal heat could be delivered affordably across the UK. The government is however supporting several new schemes and will monitor the progress of these schemes before taking any steps to change regulations for deep geothermal heat developments or support redeployment of skills.

What role deep geothermal heat will play in delivering the Warm Homes Plan.

In homes and buildings, a heat network is required to make use of deep geothermal heat. The Warm Homes Plan set out our support for low-carbon heat networks, including Heat Network Zoning and £1bn in investment over the course of this Parliament. It is for heat network developers to select the best heat sources for their network, and this may include deep geothermal where it can provide affordable low-carbon heat for consumers.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of of deep geothermal heat on long term energy security.

In 2023, the Department co-funded a study with the Northeast Local Enterprise Partnership on the UK’s deep geothermal potential. Further research on the levelised costs of geothermal heat and power was published in summer 2025. Based on this evidence, the British Geological Survey was commissioned to develop the UK Geothermal Platform—an open-access, web-based tool which launched in 2025 to help developers and investors identify geothermal opportunities and conduct pre-feasibility assessments.

What steps his Department is taking to support the redeployment of skills from the North Sea oil and gas sector into deep geothermal heat projects.

Across the energy system we are working to deliver new jobs in the clean energy transition and support those working in oil and gas to take up these opportunities. As part of our North Sea Future Plan we announced a North Sea Jobs Service will be launched which will support workers to retrain and find opportunities for future employment. Deep geothermal heat projects could benefit from these skilled workers.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of deep geothermal energy on economic growth in coastal and post industrial communities.

In 2023, the Department co-funded a study with the Northeast Local Enterprise Partnership on the UK’s deep geothermal potential. This outlines the opportunities and benefits of deep Geothermal energy in the UK, including how it can aid with the North Sea transition and levelling up on the North-East coast.

Whether deep geothermal energy projects are eligible for support under the Neighbourhoods Fund.

The Neighbourhoods Fund, now known as the Pride in Place Programme, sits under the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, who is best placed to respond on eligibility. Heat networks can deliver local benefits by producing heat and electricity locally, aiming to provide the lowest-cost and lowest‑carbon solutions. The Government has launched the Pride in Place Programme, committing up to £5.8bn over ten years to support 284 places and underpin community investment. In each area, a Neighbourhood Board, supported by local authorities and MPs, will decide how funding is used, selecting projects aligned with local priorities and programme guidance.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of delays related to the Planning Inspectorate’s processes of appeals against local authority enforcement notices have on the ability of councils to comply with planning law; what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that enforcement action is not undermined by appeal processing times.

The government is committed to the efficient handling of planning appeals, and the Planning Inspectorate has been working to improve processing and handling times in respect of them. As part of those efforts, it is trialling a pilot service of enforcement appeals through digital services. The Planning Inspectorate's Strategic Plan commits to removing all casework backlogs by 2027. The Inspectorate continues to make considerable progress towards meeting that ambition across all casework areas. To help improve service delivery and user experience, the Inspectorate is expanding the ‘Manage your appeals’ service to include enforcement. In 2025/26, funding increased for PINS’s Resource Delivery budget (to £97.9 million) and their Capital Budget (to £15 million).

What discussions his Department has had with the Department for Science and Technology about the potential for a respiratory Modern Service Framework to strengthen the UK’s life sciences ecosystem by scaling up the adoption of new medicines and innovations for lung conditions.

The Government will consider long-term conditions for future waves of modern service frameworks (MSFs), including respiratory conditions. The criteria for determining other conditions for future MSFs will be based on where there is potential for rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. After the initial wave of MSFs is complete, the National Quality Board will determine the conditions to prioritise for new MSFs as part of its work programme. There has not, therefore, been a specific assessment made in relation to winter pressures.NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care are working with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology to explore innovation and policy prioritisation in respiratory health, including the cross‑Government alignment that may be required.

What his Department’s timeline is for deciding on the second wave of Modern Service Frameworks, and whether respiratory conditions will be considered.

The Government will consider long-term conditions for future waves of modern service frameworks (MSFs), including respiratory conditions. The criteria for determining other conditions for future MSFs will be based on where there is potential for rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. After the initial wave of MSFs is complete, the National Quality Board will determine the conditions to prioritise for new MSFs as part of its work programme. There has not, therefore, been a specific assessment made in relation to winter pressures.NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care are working with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology to explore innovation and policy prioritisation in respiratory health, including the cross‑Government alignment that may be required.

What assessment his Department has made of (a) the prevalence of respiratory disease and (b) the number of emergency hospital admissions for respiratory conditions in Bexhill and Battle compared with national averages; and what steps he is taking to ensure respiratory health is prioritised nationally, including through the introduction of a Modern Service Framework for respiratory care.

The Government will consider long-term conditions for future waves of modern service frameworks (MSFs), including respiratory conditions. The criteria for determining other conditions for future MSFs will be based on where there is potential for rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. After the initial wave of MSFs is complete, the National Quality Board will determine the conditions to prioritise for new MSFs as part of its work programme.Data is available for emergency Finished Admission Episodes (FAEs) where there was a primary diagnosis of 'respiratory conditions’. The following table shows the number of FAEs where there was a primary diagnosis of 'respiratory conditions’ for Bexhill and Battle and for England, for activity in English National Health Service hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector, for 2024/25 and provisionally 2025/26:Westminster Parliamentary Constituency of Residence2024/25 (August 2024 to March 2025)2025/26 (April 2025 to November 2025)Bexhill and Battle930780England608,449423,588Source: Hospital Episode Statistics, NHS England.Available data on trends in respiratory conditions can be found on the Department’s fingertips dataset. Data is not available by parliamentary constituency. Data is available at regional, county, unitary authority, and integrated care board level. Information for East Sussex can be found at the following link:https://fingertips.phe.org.uk/search/Respiratory#page/1/gid/1/pat/15/ati/502/are/E10000011/iid/40701/age/163/sex/4/cat/-1/ctp/-1/yrr/1/cid/4/tbm/1The Government has committed to delivering three big shifts that our NHS needs to be fit for the future: from hospital to community; from analogue to digital; and from sickness to prevention. All of these are relevant to improving respiratory health in all parts of the country. Through our community diagnostic centres we are building capacity for respiratory testing and enabling people to get diagnosed closer to home. 101 community diagnostic centres across the country now offer out of hours services, 12 hours a day, seven days a week, meaning patients can access vital diagnostic tests around busy working lives. This is alongside action being taken to expand capacity and improve the quality of pulmonary rehabilitation services to support patients living with respiratory conditions.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of a respiratory Modern Service Framework in reducing winter pressures on the NHS by simultaneously improving outcomes for long-term respiratory conditions and short-term respiratory illnesses such as flu.

The Government will consider long-term conditions for future waves of modern service frameworks (MSFs), including respiratory conditions. The criteria for determining other conditions for future MSFs will be based on where there is potential for rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. After the initial wave of MSFs is complete, the National Quality Board will determine the conditions to prioritise for new MSFs as part of its work programme. There has not, therefore, been a specific assessment made in relation to winter pressures.NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care are working with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology to explore innovation and policy prioritisation in respiratory health, including the cross‑Government alignment that may be required.

When the next intake of asylum seekers are expected to arrive at the Crowborough Training Camp.

The Home Office does not give a live commentary on the number of asylum seekers accommodated at accommodation sites. Site occupancy will be increased via a phased and incremental approach to full occupancy.