Every parliamentary written question tabled by Kieran Mullan this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 1–20 of 154 · this parliament
How many offenders (broken down by type of offence) will be released at each of the scheduled early releases as part of the earned progression model as laid out by The Sentencing Act 2026 (Commencement No. 4) Reg
This Government inherited a prisons system days from collapse. We had no choice but to take decisive action to stop our prisons overflowing and keep the public safe. Our landmark Sentencing Act 2026 will now deliver a more sustainable solution to the pris...
How many victims have been sent letters advising them their perpetrator may be released from prison early as a result of the Sentencing Act 2026.
This Government inherited a prison system on the brink of collapse, and we are fixing this crisis. Through the introduction of the landmark Sentencing Act, we are ensuring that courts retain the ability to impose custodial sentences on serious and dangero...
What assessment she has made of the value for money of using Crowborough Training Camp to accommodate asylum seekers.
All large sites used for asylum accommodation are part of the Asylum Accommodation Programme which is part of the Government Major Projects Portfolio (GMPP) and, as such, are required to publish Accounting Officer Advice summaries on GOV.UK, with the most...
What steps she is taking to reduce delays in Ofsted registration for new children’s homes.
There has been a sustained and unprecedented rise in applications to register children’s homes, particularly in certain areas of the country such as the North West.In September 2025, in response to this rise Ofsted published their revised policy for prior...
What the average waiting time was for Ofsted registration of new children’s homes in each region in England in the last five years.
There has been a sustained and unprecedented rise in applications to register children’s homes, particularly in certain areas of the country such as the North West.In September 2025, in response to this rise Ofsted published their revised policy for prior...
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.
Data on prisoners serving determinate and indeterminate sentences are published regularly in the Offender Management Statistics Quarterly, which includes information on offenders by main custody type and offence group: https://www.gov.uk/government/collec...
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
The evidence available on the harms and benefits of screen use in under-five year olds is emerging and mixed. We welcome the research commissioned by the 1,001 Critical Days Foundation and its contribution to the evidence base.The early years are a critic...
What recent assessment they have made of the adequacy of the existing membership fee threshold for participants in the CASC scheme.
The Government recognises the important role that Community Amateur Sports Clubs (CASCs) play in supporting grassroots sport and promoting participation across the UK.CASC rules, including the threshold for annual membership fees, are designed to ensure c...
Whether the CPS has guidance on whether and in what manner it should publicly comment on controversial public policy matters.
The CPS does not have any internal guidance relating to public commentary on public policy matters.
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 th
The Government provides the majority of funding for grassroots sport through our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England – which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding in areas of greatest need to tackle inactivity levels through com...
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 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.
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.
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 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.