Jim Shannon MP: written questions 2026
856 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Offenders: Electronic TaggingMinistry of JusticeTabled 7 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 16425More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment has been made of the effectiveness of electronic monitoring tagging schemes for offenders.
Answer: The Ministry of Justice has published a number of evaluations examining the effectiveness of different forms of electronic monitoring. The Acquisitive Crime Impact Evaluation (2025) found that acquisitive crime offenders serving custodial sentences of 12 ...
Answered 16 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordAdministration of Justice: Victims and WitnessesMinistry of JusticeTabled 7 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 16424More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps are being taken to improve support for victims and witnesses in the justice system.
Answer: The Ministry of Justice is investing £550 million in victim support services over the next three years – the biggest investment in victim support services to date.This funding includes:- Funding for Police and Crime Commissioners who ensure victims can ac...
Answered 15 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordAdministration of Justice: Rural AreasMinistry of JusticeTabled 7 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 16423More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment has been made of the potential impact of court closures on access to justice in rural areas.
Answer: We are committed to ensuring access to justice for all court users, including those in rural communities. There are currently no plans to permanently close any courts. Any future proposals would be subject to full public consultation and will consider all...
Answered 15 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordLegal Representation: Mental IllnessMinistry of JusticeTabled 7 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 16422More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps are being taken to improve legal representation for individuals with mental health conditions.
Answer: The Government supports people with mental health conditions to solve their legal problems in a variety of ways, through legal aid and legal support.We are committed to ensuring that individuals with mental health conditions have equal opportunity to acce...
Answered 15 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordFamily Proceedings: Legal Aid SchemeMinistry of JusticeTabled 7 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 16421More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment has been made of levels of gaps in access to legal aid for family law cases.
Answer: This Government recognises the vital role that legal aid plays in supporting individuals in family proceedings. In 2024/25, the Government spent £854 million on the provision of family legal aid (£196 million on private family, and £658 milion on public f...
Answered 15 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordOffenders: Alcoholic Drinks and DrugsMinistry of JusticeTabled 7 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 16420More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps are being taken to support the rehabilitation of offenders with drug or alcohol dependencies.
Answer: Sustained engagement in treatment and recovery is essential to tackling the underlying causes of offending. We work closely with health partners to refer offenders into treatment as early as possible and support ongoing engagement. We are committed to div...
Answered 16 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordCentral African Republic: ReligionForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 6 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 15963More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with the Government of the Central African Republic and the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central Afric
Answer: The UK is deeply concerned by the violence that took place in Haut-Mbomou Prefecture on 29 June and the reports of civilian casualties. We remain in regular contact with the Government of the Central African Republic (CAR) and the United Nations Multidime...
Answered 10 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordMount Stewart: FinanceDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 6 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 15962More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing funding to Mountstewart Gardens to help enable Mountstewart to take her place as a UNESCO world heritage site.
Answer: DCMS does not provide any discretionary capital funding for local heritage projects, however the National Lottery Heritage Fund has capital funding streams available. We are proud to already boast a large number of existing UK World Heritage Sites and are...
Answered 14 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordMusic: EducationDepartment for EducationTabled 6 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 15961More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking with the Department for Work and Pensions, to increase funding for music tuition for children from low-income families to match increases in the cost of lesson tuition at sch
Answer: Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.This government is committed to ensuring that high-quality music education is not the preserve of the privileged few.In the 2026/27 academic year, we will continue ...
Answered 14 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordNational Lottery: GrantsDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 6 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 15960More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with the National Lottery on the potential merits of uplifting lottery grants that fund improvements to (a) churches and (b) historic buildings.
Answer: National Lottery funding for churches and historic buildings is primarily given via the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF). NLHF’s decision-making on grant funding is independent from DCMS. The Department is working closely with funders in the sector t...
Answered 14 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordParole and Prisoners' Release: SafetyMinistry of JusticeTabled 6 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 15959More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of early release and parole policies on public safety.
Answer: The changes to early release were necessary because the Government inherited a prison system that was days from collapse. We had no choice but to take decisive action to stop our prisons overflowing and keep the public safe. The Sentencing Act 2026 will d...
Answered 14 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordSentencing: StandardsMinistry of JusticeTabled 6 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 15958More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to ensure proportionate and consistent sentencing.
Answer: In England and Wales, sentencing guidelines, developed by the independent Sentencing Council, are a key means of ensuring consistency and transparency in sentencing.All sentencing courts in England and Wales must follow any sentencing guidelines which are...
Answered 14 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordCommunity Orders: ReoffendersMinistry of JusticeTabled 6 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 15957More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of community sentences in reducing reoffending.
Answer: Our approach is guided by evidence on what works to reduce reoffending, and we work with partners across government to support offenders in custody and the community to build skills, secure a job and stable housing, access treatment for drug and alcohol u...
Answered 14 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordCrown Court: StandardsMinistry of JusticeTabled 6 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 15956More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to reduce the backlog of criminal trials in Crown Courts.
Answer: The Government inherited a justice system in crisis - with a record Crown Court caseload and victims facing intolerable delays for justice. That is why the Government asked Sir Brian Leveson to undertake an Independent Review of the Criminal Courts and ma...
Answered 14 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordLegal Aid Scheme: Low IncomesMinistry of JusticeTabled 6 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 15955More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to ensure adequate legal aid funding for low-income defendants.
Answer: In England and Wales, legal aid for defendants appearing at the magistrates’ court and Crown Court is means tested. The income thresholds are different in each court.All defendants at the Crown Court are eligible for legal aid provided their annual dispos...
Answered 14 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordCourts: Digital TechnologyMinistry of JusticeTabled 6 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 15954More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of digital case management systems on court efficiency.
Answer: The Government recognises that digital case management systems are an important enabler of court efficiency. Throughout England and Wales, HMCTS has introduced digital services and case management systems across the criminal, civil and family court jurisd...
Answered 14 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordAdministration of Justice: Vulnerable AdultsMinistry of JusticeTabled 6 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 15953More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to improve access to justice for vulnerable individuals.
Answer: We are taking action across the justice system to improve access to justice for vulnerable people by strengthening legal support, investing in legal aid and making courts and tribunals more accessible.We have made significant investments in legal aid to s...
Answered 14 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordCivil Proceedings and Family Proceedings: StandardsMinistry of JusticeTabled 6 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 15952More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the time taken for civil and family court cases.
Answer: The Department publishes statistics on the timeliness of cases in civil and family courts in the Civil Court Statistics Quarterly and Family Court Statistics Quarterly publications. These can be found at the following links: Civil justice statistics quart...
Answered 14 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordPrisoners: Education and TrainingMinistry of JusticeTabled 6 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 15951More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the provision of education and vocational training for prisoners.
Answer: The Government recognises that high-quality education and vocational training are central to rehabilitation and reducing reoffending. Prisoners have access to a broad curriculum, including English, maths, digital skills, further and higher education, voca...
Answered 14 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordPrison Service: StaffMinistry of JusticeTabled 6 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 15950More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to increase staffing levels in the prison service.
Answer: The answer relates to England and Wales as prisons are a devolved matter in Scotland and Northern Ireland.Prison Service staff are some of our finest public servants. The work of prison staff is largely out of view of the public, but their work is vital f...
Answered 14 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordReoffenders: RehabilitationMinistry of JusticeTabled 6 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 15949More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of rehabilitation programmes in reducing reoffending rates.
Answer: Our approach is guided by evidence on what works to reduce reoffending, and we work with partners across government to support offenders in custody and the community to build skills, secure a job and stable housing, access treatment for drug and alcohol u...
Answered 14 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordMental Health Services: PrisonersDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 3 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 15707More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps are being taken to improve mental health support for prisoners.
Answer: NHS England commissions prison health care services into every prison in England to the equivalence of the community. NHS England’s Service Specification for integrated mental health services in prisons states that patients within secure settings should r...
Answered 8 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordHate CrimeHome OfficeTabled 3 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 15706More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to improve support and protection for victims of hate crimes, including monitoring and reporting mechanisms.
Answer: There is robust legislative framework in place to respond to hate crimes which target race, religion, sexual orientation, disability, and transgender identity.The Government funds an online hate crime reporting portal, True Vision, designed so victims of ...
Answered 9 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordCybercrimeHome OfficeTabled 3 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 15705More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment has been made of trends in the level of cybercrime affecting people and small businesses.
Answer: Cybercrime causes huge damage to people and businesses across the UKand is a priority for the Government. We keep cybercrime trends under close review. Survey evidence suggests that the prevalence of cybercrime affecting individuals and small businesses h...
Answered 9 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordCCTV: Crime PreventionHome OfficeTabled 3 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 15704More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment has been made of the effectiveness of CCTV footage in reducing crime in urban areas.
Answer: CCTV is a long-established and widely used tool across England and Wales, operated by a range of public and private bodies to support crime prevention, public safety and investigations.The Surveillance Camera Commissioner (SCC) is responsible for encourag...
Answered 15 Jul 2026
Original Parliament record
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