Written questions by Babarinde.

What steps her Department is taking to help support the recruitment of teachers in (a) Eastbourne constituency and (b) East Sussex.

High-quality teaching is the in-school factor that has the biggest impact on children’s outcomes. This is why the government’s Plan for Change has committed to recruiting an additional 6,500 new expert teachers in secondary and special schools, and in our colleges over the course of this Parliament.To support this key pledge, we recently announced a 4% pay award for 2025/26, building on the 5.5% pay award for 2024/25, resulting in a near 10% pay award for teachers since this government came to power. We also announced a teacher training financial incentives package worth nearly £233 million, including bursaries worth up to £29,000 tax-free, and scholarships up to £31,000 tax free. We also announced targeted retention payments worth up to £6000, with 10 schools in the Eastbourne constituency, and 31 schools in East Sussex qualifying for these.The teaching workforce has grown by 2,346 full-time equivalent (FTE) teachers, between 2023/24 and 2024/25, in secondary and special schools. In Eastbourne constituency there are 30 more secondary and special school teachers, with 457 FTE teachers this year.

What steps he is taking to support the mental health of (a) victims and (b) survivors of crime.

Too many people with mental health issues, including victims and survivors of crime, are not getting the support or care they need. This is why we will fix the broken system to ensure we give mental health the same attention and focus as physical health so that people can be confident in accessing high quality mental health support when they need it.We are committed to improving mental health care for people with a range of mental health conditions, and to shifting the focus from treatment to prevention as we make the National Health Service fit for the future.This Government is recruiting 8,500 mental health workers to help ease pressure on busy mental health services. More than 6,700 extra mental health workers have been recruited since July, latest data shows. The latest recruitment milestone means the government is more than halfway towards its target of hiring an extra 8,500 mental health staff by the end of this Parliament, helping get people the care they need so they can get back to work, school and doing what they love.We are transforming mental health services into 24 hour a day, seven day a week neighbourhood mental health centres, improving assertive outreach, and increasing access to evidence based digital interventions. People will get better access to mental health support and advice 24 hours a day, seven days a week directly through the NHS App, including through self-referral for Talking Therapies.

With reference to paragraph 2.65 of her Department's document entitled Spring Statement 2025, published on 26 March 2025, when she will publish the reforms to Individual Savings Accounts.

The Government is looking at options for reforms to ISAs that get the balance right between cash and equities to earn better returns for savers, boost the culture of retail investment, and support the growth mission.The Government keeps all aspects of tax and savings policy under review.

Whether she plans to reintroduce a direct train service between Eastbourne and London Bridge.

Operators must make the best use of train paths when planning their timetables to meet current and future demand, while ensuring value for the taxpayer. Govia Thameslink Railway is currently engaging with stakeholders and actively developing proposals for a direct service between Eastbourne and London Bridge and will ensure that stakeholders are kept updated on any progress in this area as soon as possible.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help reduce the levels of air pollution in Eastbourne constituency.

Local authorities review and assess air quality in their areas and publish an annual report on their actions to improve local air quality including local monitoring data which is assessed by Defra. In their most recent report, Eastbourne Borough Council indicated they were monitoring NO2 levels at 21 sites with additional monitoring of particulate matter at 2 sites. No exceedances of the Air Quality Objectives set by Defra for nitrogen dioxide or particulate matter were recorded at any monitoring location. Decrease in NO2 concentrations were seen at all 21 monitoring locations.

Whether her Department is taking steps to lower train fares to encourage the use of public transport.

We are overhauling the fares and ticketing system to make it easier for passengers to trust that they are buying the right ticket and getting the best fare. With the move to Great British Railways, passengers will be able to receive a more consistent offer across the network. We need to balance affordability for both passengers and taxpayers as we reform fares and deliver Great British Railways, ensuring everyone gets a fair deal.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to increase funding for National Parks in England.

Protected Landscapes are our most iconic and inspiring places, underpinning our health, economy and climate. That’s why this government will empower Protected Landscapes to become greener, wilder and more accessible. The Government is providing £45.2 million of core funding to the 10 National Park Authorities, with a capital uplift of up to £15 million to support their contribution to protecting 30% of land by 2030. In challenging financial circumstances, this uplift in capital investment is recognition of the vital importance of National Parks to government priorities. We have also extended programmes such as Farming in Protected Landscapes, providing £30 million to support projects in our National Landscapes and National Parks, until March 2026. We understand resourcing remains a challenge and recognise that the Defra core grant is vital to support England’s Protected Landscapes. Given the pressures on public finances, we are also committed to working with Protected Landscapes organisations to unleash other income sources and foster innovation. For example, are we seeking to accelerate private investment in Protected Landscapes and introducing a general power of competence for National Park Authorities which will remove barriers to a more entrepreneurial approach.

What long-term funding her Department has allocated to facilitate (a) cycling and (b) walking in Eastbourne constituency.

On 12 February, the Department and Active Travel England announced local authority allocations of the Consolidated Active Travel Fund. Of this funding, East Sussex County Council has been awarded £1,110,557 in revenue funding for 2024/25 and capital funding for 2025/26. It will be for East Sussex County Council to allocate this funding in line with local investment priorities, including to support schemes in the Eastbourne constituency. The Spending Review announced £616 million for active travel infrastructure from 2026-27 to 2029-30, Active Travel England will set out future allocations from this funding in due course. The Government also announced a further £2.3 billion to local authorities through the Local Transport Grant (LTG). This funding will support local authorities to invest in their local transport priorities, including schemes to support walking and cycling. East Sussex County Council has been awarded over £22 million up to 2029/30 through the LTG.

What steps his Department has taken towards establishing an ARFID pathway for adults living with this condition in (a) Eastbourne and (b) the UK.

NHS England is updating the Adult Eating Disorder Inpatient Service Specification to address the gaps and challenges in the current system for those with severe and complex eating disorders, which includes avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID).In recognition of the importance of ARFID, NHS England published A Framework for Good Practice in Delivering Support to Adults and Older Adults with Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), on NHS Futures. It is intended for clinicians working in eating disorder services.Locally in Sussex, which includes Eastbourne, NHS England is working with system partners to develop a children and young people’s pathway, which will consist of a multi-disciplinary model of care for children and young people with ARFID and complex eating, to more comprehensively support their needs. This learning will be used to explore improvements in the adult pathway as well.The Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust offers advice and consultation to professionals about ARFID and signposts to other relevant services as required.

What steps she is taking to (a) protect and (b) support SEND services in schools in Eastbourne constituency.

East Sussex’s most recent Area special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) inspection was undertaken by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission in November 2024, which found that the local area partnership’s arrangements lead to inconsistent experiences and outcomes for children and young people with SEND.The inspection identified four areas for improvement, including that the local area partnership should develop and embed its work with education settings on improving inclusion, so that the proportion of children and young people achieving strong outcomes increases.Following the inspection, the East Sussex local area partnership has published a strategic plan with specific actions to address all four areas for improvement, and the department, alongside NHS England, will be tracking the progress that the local area makes against this plan, including through regular engagement, and will offer support and challenge as the local area’s improvement journey continues.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to monitor the water quality on beaches in Eastbourne constituency.

The Environment Agency (EA) is responsible for monitoring the water quality of designated bathing water sites, reporting bathing water quality, informing the public of pollution which could affect bathing waters and investigating and identifying actions to improve bathing water quality. Throughout the bathing season (May to September), the EA takes up to 20 water samples at each of England's designated bathing waters and tests them for two bacteria, E. coli and intestinal enterococci, which can indicate pollution that can pose a risk to bathers' health. There is one designated bathing water in the Eastbourne constituency – Eastbourne bathing water, which is currently classified as ‘Good’. The EA SWIMFO website, shows the latest water quality sample results for all the bathing waters in England. So far this season, all results have been within the excellent threshold for Eastbourne bathing water.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help (a) protect and (b) support the South Downs National Park.

This Government has committed to empower all Protected Landscapes, including the South Downs National Park, to be greener, wilder and more accessible. In the 25-26 financial year, we are providing £9.6 million of core resource funding to South Downs National Park Authority, alongside £2 million capital investment. We have also extended programmes such as Farming in Protected Landscapes, providing £30 million to support projects in our National Landscapes and National Parks, until March 2026. In 25-26, the overall Farming in Protected Landscapes allocation to the South Downs National Park is £756,488. On the 16 December we committed to strengthen their underpinning legislation and governance. We will co-design the new legislation with partners but intend to strengthen the statutory purposes of National Landscapes and National Parks to give them a clear mandate to recover nature. Through this recovery, Protected Landscapes will fight climate change, foster a thriving green economy, and support the mental and physical health of the nation. The legislation will also update their governance to ensure it creates the conditions for success, innovation and collaboration. This will include providing National Park Authorities with a general power of competence – which will clarify their legal framework and remove barriers to integrated delivery. We have also published guidance for relevant authorities to make expectations clear in relation to their duty to seek to further the purposes of Protected Landscapes.

Whether she plans to lower the age of free bus travel eligibility to 60 in (a) Eastbourne and (b) England.

The English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS) provides free off-peak bus travel to those with eligible disabilities and those of state pension age, currently sixty-six. The ENCTS costs around £700 million annually and any changes to the statutory obligations, would therefore need to be carefully considered for its impact on the scheme’s financial sustainability.However, local authorities in England have the power to offer concessions in addition to their statutory obligations, such as lowering the age of eligibility. Additional local concessions are provided and funded by local authorities from local resources.The government has confirmed £955 million for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London. This includes £243 million for bus operators and £712 million allocated to local authorities across the country. East Sussex County Council have been allocated £10.3 million of this funding. Funding allocated to local authorities to improve services for passengers can be used in whichever way they wish. This could include extending the discretionary concessions available.

What proportion of the increased schools funding announced in the Spending Review 2025 has been allocated to schools in Eastbourne constituency.

​​​The government has announced an additional £4.2 billion for schools across the Spending Review period, which will take core schools budgets to £69.5 billion by 2028/29.​The majority of school funding is allocated through the national funding formula, which will be published in the autumn to provide schools with greater certainty over their funding in the financial year 2026/27. The core schools budget is used to support several different funding streams, and how it will be distributed across the Spending Review period will depend on future business planning processes.​Allocations to individual local authorities and schools will be determined using up-to-date data. 2026/27 allocations will be calculated by reference to the October 2025 school census.​​

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help protect seaside towns from coastal erosion.

We are committed to supporting coastal communities and ensuring flood risk management is fit for the challenges we face now and in the future.Delivering on the Government’s Plan for Change, this Government is investing a record £2.65 billion over 2024/25 and 2025/26 for the construction of new flood schemes, and the maintenance and repair of existing ones.With this funding, 1,000 flood schemes have been or will continue to be supported, better protecting 52,000 properties by March 2026. The Government launched a consultation 3 June on proposals to reform the way we fund flood and coastal defences. We want to ensure funding for flood defences is distributed more effectively across the country – to protect properties across all communities including in rural, coastal, and poorer areas. The 8-week consultation is open to everyone and all stakeholders, including organisations that play a role in flood resilience, community groups and members of the public, are invited to be part of the consultation.

What steps her Department is taking to tackle youth offending in Eastbourne.

In 2025/26 the Home Office is investing over £1.04m in grant funding to the Sussex Violence Reduction Unit, alongside £269k to continue the implementation of the Serious Violence Duty. This funding will support delivery of a range of early intervention and prevention programmes, which includes the continuation of a Focussed Deterrence intervention in East Sussex. This project is targeted at young people who carry knives and provides them with tailored multi-agency support to desist from violence, alongside enforcement measures.We are also investing more than £43m in the County Lines Programme this financial year to target exploitative drug dealing gangs and break the organised crime groups behind the trade. Through our County Lines Programme, we are funding the National County Lines Co-ordination Centre to monitor the intelligence picture and co-ordinate the national law enforcement response. We also have a dedicated fund to help local police forces, including Sussex Police, tackle the scourge of county lines.Going further, the Young Futures Programme is a key part of the Safer Streets Mission and will help deliver the Government’s target to halve knife crime over the next decade. Under this programme the Government will intervene earlier, to ensure Children and Young People (CYP) who are facing poorer outcomes and are vulnerable to being drawn into crime are identified and offered support in a more systematic way. The programme also aims to create more support and opportunities for them in their communities.

How many hate crime incidents were recorded in Eastbourne in the latest year for which data is available.

The Home Office publishes official statistics on the number of hate crimes recorded by the police in England and Wales at the Police Force Area level.Data for Sussex, for the year ending March 2024, can be found here: Hate crime, England and Wales, year ending March 2024 - GOV.UK

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.

What steps her Department is taking to support arts education in schools in Eastbourne constituency.

As part of our Opportunity Mission, this government wants to widen access to the arts.Music Hubs continue to play a vital role across England with grant funding of £76 million for the 2025/26 academic year. This includes nearly £2 million for the Sussex Music Hub partnership led by Create Music, to support schools in East Sussex, including Eastbourne.On 18 March 2025, the department announced a National Centre for Arts and Music Education to support schools across England to teach all arts subjects. Our intention is to launch in September 2026, with further details in the autumn.The government also established the Curriculum and Assessment Review. This seeks to deliver a rich, broad, inclusive and innovative curriculum, including music, art and drama. The final report and government response will be published this autumn.We are legislating so that, following the Review and implementation, academies will be required to teach the reformed national curriculum, alongside maintained schools. This will ensure arts education is an entitlement for pupils in every state-funded school.

What steps her Department is taking to tackle crime in (a) town centres and (b) Eastbourne town centre.

Creating Safer Town Centres is a top priority for this Government and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission. This Government wants town centres to be vibrant, welcoming places where businesses thrive and people feel safe to come to shop, socialise and live.That is why this Government has awarded £66.3 million in Hotspot Action funding to all 43 territorial police forces in England and Wales in 2025/6.The Hotspot Action Fund will increase visible uniformed patrols in town centres and other areas most impacted by knife crime, serious violence and anti-social behaviour. The Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner has been awarded £1,436,889 as part of this funding. It will be for the PCC to decide how that money is used across the force area, including Eastbourne.This Government has additionally made £200m available to forces in 2025/26 to kickstart the delivery of our commitment to have 13,000 more neighbourhood officers across England and Wales by the end of this Parliament. This investment will be used to enhance local policing capacity, with Sussex Police’s projected growth over 2025 to 2026 to be 43 police officers (FTE), and 21 Special Constables. We are delivering more police on our streets, tackling the crimes that blight our town centres.The Safer Streets Summer initiative will run from 30 June to the end of September 2025. The primary goal is to prevent crime and disorder and increase meaningful and visible consequences for the minority who feel it is acceptable to cause this scourge on society.Over 500 town centres and thousands of shops will benefit from increased police patrols and local action to tackle town centre crime and anti-social behaviour with the launch of the Government’s Safer Streets Summer Initiative across England and Wales. In Sussex, they will be focussing on over 20 locations as part of the initiative, including Eastbourne.