Asked by: Kieran Mullan (Conservative - Bexhill and Battle)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of Armed Forces-friendly employment practices in prison and probation services.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Ministry of Justice recognises the valuable skills and experience that members of the Armed Forces community can bring to the Civil Service, including roles across His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS).
The Department supports veterans into employment through the Great Place to Work for Veterans scheme, which recognises the contribution that former members of the Armed Forces can make to the Civil Service and provides opportunities for them to secure rewarding jobs.
HMPPS also operates Advance into Justice, which supports members of the Armed Forces and their family members into frontline operational roles across prisons and probation. This includes service leavers who are within their resettlement period and due to leave the Services within 18 months, veterans, eligible spouses and civil partners of service leavers or veterans, and Armed Forces Reservists.
Asked by: Kieran Mullan (Conservative - Bexhill and Battle)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to create referral pathways within custody suites and local probation services for Armed Forces veterans in custody to receive specialist support.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) works with a range of partners to support veterans in the criminal justice system both in custody and community. Operation (Op) NOVA provides tailored support and links veterans to services including Op FORTITUDE (housing), Op RESTORE (physical health), RECONNECT (continuity of care on release), and Op COURAGE (mental health support). HMPPS also works with charities such as SSAFA, the Armed Forces Charity (formerly Soldiers, Sailors & Airmen Families Association), who deliver prison in-reach services across the prison estate to veterans, while almost all prisons have a Veterans in Custody Support Officer to provide specialist support and help veterans prepare for release.
HMPPS helps prison and probation staff to understand the experiences and needs of veterans through training, guidance and regular events. This helps staff recognise the impact that military service can have, understand the support available, and to connect veterans with the right help. HMPPS also provides an online veteran’s support map, making it easier for veterans, their families and professionals to find services and access support. Together, these initiatives help ensure that those who have served receive the support they need to move forward positively, both in custody and in the community.
Asked by: Kieran Mullan (Conservative - Bexhill and Battle)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of training for prison and probation staff to better understand the needs of the Armed Forces community.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) works with a range of partners to support veterans in the criminal justice system both in custody and community. Operation (Op) NOVA provides tailored support and links veterans to services including Op FORTITUDE (housing), Op RESTORE (physical health), RECONNECT (continuity of care on release), and Op COURAGE (mental health support). HMPPS also works with charities such as SSAFA, the Armed Forces Charity (formerly Soldiers, Sailors & Airmen Families Association), who deliver prison in-reach services across the prison estate to veterans, while almost all prisons have a Veterans in Custody Support Officer to provide specialist support and help veterans prepare for release.
HMPPS helps prison and probation staff to understand the experiences and needs of veterans through training, guidance and regular events. This helps staff recognise the impact that military service can have, understand the support available, and to connect veterans with the right help. HMPPS also provides an online veteran’s support map, making it easier for veterans, their families and professionals to find services and access support. Together, these initiatives help ensure that those who have served receive the support they need to move forward positively, both in custody and in the community.
Asked by: Kieran Mullan (Conservative - Bexhill and Battle)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of using the new Energy Wealth Fund to establish an early stage de-risking fund for deep geothermal energy projects.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with HM Treasury)
Established within the National Wealth Fund (NWF), the Energy Wealth Fund (EWF) will invest in renewable and low carbon energy infrastructure across the UK, helping unlock growth and supporting projects that will drive the country’s transition to a low-carbon economy. Further details will be set out in due course.
Asked by: Kieran Mullan (Conservative - Bexhill and Battle)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential contribution of deep geothermal energy to the objectives of the Energy Wealth Fund.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with HM Treasury)
Established within the National Wealth Fund (NWF), the Energy Wealth Fund (EWF) will invest in renewable and low carbon energy infrastructure across the UK, helping unlock growth and supporting projects that will drive the country’s transition to a low-carbon economy. Further details will be set out in due course.
Asked by: Kieran Mullan (Conservative - Bexhill and Battle)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what criteria his Department will use to determine which technologies and projects receive support from the Energy Wealth Fund.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with HM Treasury)
Established within the National Wealth Fund (NWF), the Energy Wealth Fund (EWF) will invest in renewable and low carbon energy infrastructure across the UK, helping unlock growth and supporting projects that will drive the country’s transition to a low-carbon economy. Further details will be set out in due course.
Asked by: Kieran Mullan (Conservative - Bexhill and Battle)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will consider ringfencing funding within the Energy Wealth Fund specifically for deep geothermal projects.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with HM Treasury)
Established within the National Wealth Fund (NWF), the Energy Wealth Fund (EWF) will invest in renewable and low carbon energy infrastructure across the UK, helping unlock growth and supporting projects that will drive the country’s transition to a low-carbon economy. Further details will be set out in due course.
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.