Asked by: Kieran Mullan (Conservative - Bexhill and Battle)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many payments by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority were not made within its published target of 20 working days after receipt of a signed acceptance form in the latest year for which figures are available.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
Between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026, the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) received 12,651 acceptances for payments of criminal injuries compensation.
2,280 were paid more than 20 working days after the acceptance was received.
The average number of days to pay an acceptance from those received between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026 was 14 working days*.
*These figures are based on the date when the acceptance form was added to CICA’s case management system.
Asked by: Kieran Mullan (Conservative - Bexhill and Battle)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average time taken by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority to make payment after receiving a signed acceptance form was in the latest year for which figures are available.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
Between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026, the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) received 12,651 acceptances for payments of criminal injuries compensation.
2,280 were paid more than 20 working days after the acceptance was received.
The average number of days to pay an acceptance from those received between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026 was 14 working days*.
*These figures are based on the date when the acceptance form was added to CICA’s case management system.
Asked by: Kieran Mullan (Conservative - Bexhill and Battle)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many offenders will be released (a) on 2 September 2026 and (b) at each of the following monthly release points under the Sentencing Act 2026 by offence including rape, child grooming, sexual assault, manslaughter, causing death by dangerous driving and child cruelty.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
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 prison capacity crisis we inherited, including through the progression model which will help ensure there are always enough places for the courts to be able to send people to custody in order to keep the public safe.
The progression model amends release points for offenders serving standard determinate sentences.
That is why we have taken tough decisions to stop prisons running out of space while keeping the public safe. But we have also listened to victims and acted on their concerns. Any unlawful killing offence such as manslaughter, death by dangerous driving, as well as further historic child sex offences, will now be excluded, on top of rape and serious child sex offences.
A full list of exclusions can be found here: Sentencing Act 2026 offence exclusions - GOV.UK
These exclusions are in addition to the existing exclusion of over 18,000 offenders serving the most more serious sentences.
The date from which the progression model will apply, and the date of the first tranche of releases, has changed. The first tranche of releases will no longer take place on 2 September 2026 as previously planned, but on 1 October 2026.
Whilst is not possible to know precise future release data in advance, we have published the best available modelled estimates of the volumes of offenders estimated to be released on the first day of each tranche. This information is now available at: Sentencing Act 2026 offence exclusions - GOV.UK
The Ministry of Justice also routinely publishes Accredited Official Statistics on prisoner releases as part of the Offender Management Statistics Quarterly (OMSQ) publication.
Asked by: Kieran Mullan (Conservative - Bexhill and Battle)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help enforce no alcohol policies at asylum accommodation sites.
Answered by Alex Norris - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice
Asylum support is for essential living needs and nothing more.
There is a strict no alcohol policy within accommodation sites where residents are required to comply with site rules.
Upon arrival asylum seekers are given an induction setting out acceptable and unacceptable behaviours, as well as their responsibilities as individuals.
Asked by: Kieran Mullan (Conservative - Bexhill and Battle)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, 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) Regulations 2026.
Answered by Jake Richards - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
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 prison capacity crisis we inherited, including through the progression model which will help ensure there are always enough places for the courts to be able to send people to custody in order to keep the public safe.
The progression model amends release points for offenders on standard determinate sentences. As a result of the new release points, some offenders currently in prison will be eligible for earlier release. To ensure the release of these prisoners is done as safely as possible, prisoners will be released in ten monthly tranches, running from 2 September 2026 to June 2027.
It is not possible to know future release data precisely so far in advance, including because eligible offenders might be sentenced to prison between now and the commencement date for tranche 1 on 2 September 2026. There will also be current prisoners who have not yet had ongoing, additional criminal proceedings against them completed. Nor do we know any added days for bad behaviour committed between now and the final tranche in June 2027.
The Ministry of Justice routinely publishes Accredited Official Statistics on prisoner releases as part of the Offender Management Statistics Quarterly (OMSQ) publication.
Asked by: Kieran Mullan (Conservative - Bexhill and Battle)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, 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.
Answered by Jake Richards - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
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 dangerous offenders. Without these measures, the prison estate would have faced the risk of exhausting available capacity.
The progression model introduced by the Sentencing Act will come into force on 2 September 2026. The revised release arrangements apply to sentence types rather than to specific offences or individual cases. More than 18,000 of the most serious and dangerous offenders are excluded from these changes and will continue to serve custodial terms in line with existing arrangements.
Eligible victims who have opted into the Probation Service Victim Contact Scheme, where the offender is serving a standard determinate sentence, are being informed of the commencement of the legislation. Victim Liaison Officers will write to victims again to confirm whether the offender’s release date has changed as a result of the new arrangements.
As of 23 June 2026, 7,308 victims had been contacted and informed of the legislative changes. This figure should not be interpreted as the number of offenders affected, as not all offenders will necessarily receive an earlier release date. Additionally, not all victims choose to participate in the Victim Contact Scheme, and some offenders have multiple victims.
Asked by: Kieran Mullan (Conservative - Bexhill and Battle)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the average waiting time was for Ofsted registration of new children’s homes in each region in England in the last five years.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
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 prioritising children’s homes applications.
The criteria prioritise applications where a child subject to a deprivation of liberty order is being accommodated in a children’s home that is currently unregistered, the provision is being opened exclusively to look after unaccompanied asylum-seeking children transferred under the national transfer scheme, the provision is needed in exceptional circumstances in response to an emergency situation or where the provision is funded by the department.
Ofsted advise priority applications should receive a decision within 3 to 6 months; non-priority applications within 6 to 18 months.
Ofsted liaised closely with the department during the development of these criteria which align with our wider action to reshape the placements market which includes children’s homes. We are introducing a package of measures, including through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act which will help ensure we have the right homes in the right places for our most vulnerable children.
Asked by: Kieran Mullan (Conservative - Bexhill and Battle)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to reduce delays in Ofsted registration for new children’s homes.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
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 prioritising children’s homes applications.
The criteria prioritise applications where a child subject to a deprivation of liberty order is being accommodated in a children’s home that is currently unregistered, the provision is being opened exclusively to look after unaccompanied asylum-seeking children transferred under the national transfer scheme, the provision is needed in exceptional circumstances in response to an emergency situation or where the provision is funded by the department.
Ofsted advise priority applications should receive a decision within 3 to 6 months; non-priority applications within 6 to 18 months.
Ofsted liaised closely with the department during the development of these criteria which align with our wider action to reshape the placements market which includes children’s homes. We are introducing a package of measures, including through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act which will help ensure we have the right homes in the right places for our most vulnerable children.
Asked by: Kieran Mullan (Conservative - Bexhill and Battle)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the value for money of using Crowborough Training Camp to accommodate asylum seekers.
Answered by Alex Norris - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice
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 recent having been published in November 2025.
We have improved our understanding of project costings by referencing actuals from previous sites such as Wethersfield, enabling more accurate budgeting and financial planning.
We are confident that the level of due diligence carried out on sites has improved and that value for money assessments take place at the appropriate stage.
Asked by: Kieran Mullan (Conservative - Bexhill and Battle)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, 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.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson
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 critical period for children’s development. Screens can play a role, but healthy development depends on sufficient sleep, play, real-world interaction, and responsive adult engagement. On 27 March, the Government published advice on screen use for children aged zero to five years old on the Best Start in Life website. Informed by a panel of experts, it offers practical, non-judgemental support to help families balance screen use with other activities. We will keep this under review as the area develops and will determine whether our current advice to parents should change.