Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions her Department has had with Sussex Police on the adequacy of police response times in Eastbourne.

Chief Constables are responsible for determining the allocation of resources for operational policing and managing their response times, in line with the priorities set out by their Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC).

His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) assesses the operational performance of forces in England and Wales. HMICFRS last published a Police Effectiveness Efficiency and Legitimacy inspection (PEEL) report for Sussex Police on 13 April 2023. Its next PEEL report is expected to be published shortly.

Katy Bourne, as the directly elected PCC for Sussex Police, is responsible for holding the Chief Constable of the force to account for its performance.

In November 2024, the Home Secretary announced the creation of a new Performance Framework and a Home Office performance unit to help deliver this ambition.

The new Police Performance Framework will help to ensure consistent collection and analysis of police performance data and enable greater Government oversight of performance to ensure that all forces are delivering the level of performance that the public expect of them.