Select Committee · Health and Social Care Committee

Prevention in health and social care

Status: Closed Opened: 18 Jan 2023 Closed: 30 May 2024 14 recommendations 11 conclusions 2 reports

The Health and Social Care Committee has announced ten themes to be examined in its major new inquiry into preventing ill-health. The subjects, ranging from early years and childhood to alcohol and gambling, were chosen after MPs received more than 600 submissions from researchers and organisations involved in preventative healthcare. The inquiry will examine social …

Clear

Reports

2 reports
Title HC No. Published Items Response
First Report - Prevention in health and social care: health… HC 484 19 Jan 2024 15 Responded
Tenth Report - Prevention in health and social care: vaccin… HC 1764 27 Jul 2023 10 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

5 items
3 Conclusion Tenth Report - Prevention in health and… Deferred

Covid-19 vaccine rollout success demonstrates benefits of mission-based approach for immunisation.

The incredible success of the Covid-19 vaccine rollout showed what can be achieved with a mission-based attitude from Government, which involved making it as easy as possible for everybody to receive the vaccine. Fundamental to that success was the wide range of people that were mobilised to deliver the vaccination, …

Government response. The government deflected the recommendation, focusing instead on its efforts to improve commercial clinical trials, clinical research delivery, and partnerships for vaccine innovation, rather than routine immunisation delivery.
Department of Health and Social Care
4 Recommendation Tenth Report - Prevention in health and… Deferred

Consult on amending regulations to give students and retired staff roles in immunisation.

To ensure that nobody misses out on vital vaccine protection because of practical challenges such as convenient times or locations, a more flexible delivery model, that makes the most of the wide range of healthcare professionals, is needed. We recommend that the Government carries out a consultation on whether to …

Government response. The government deflected the recommendation, responding by referencing Lord O’Shaughnessy's review of commercial clinical trials and outlining commitments to improve their speed, instead of addressing a consultation on routine immunisation delivery.
Department of Health and Social Care
4 Recommendation First Report - Prevention in health and… Deferred

Require Government to update and implement Decent Homes Standard for all rented sectors promptly.

We recommend the Government proceeds without delay in the consultation necessary to update the Decent Homes Standard for the social rented sector and in implementing a Decent Homes Standard for the private rented sector. It should set out a timetable for doing so in response to this report.

Government response. The government deflected the recommendation by discussing the role of the National Planning Policy Framework in creating healthy communities and stating they are not looking to extend the list of statutory planning consultees, rather than providing a timetable for updating …
Department of Health and Social Care
5 Recommendation First Report - Prevention in health and… Deferred

Expedite Awaab's Law implementation and extend safeguards against health hazards to private tenants.

It is welcome that the Government’s has proposed measures to protect social sector tenants from the worst impacts of unhealthy homes, via the implementation of “Awaab’s law”. We recommend that the Government act quickly on the outcome of its consultation on this topic for social sector tenants. It should also …

Government response. The government deflected the recommendation by discussing the growth and delivery of social prescribing initiatives and related targets, rather than providing an update on 'Awaab’s Law' consultation outcomes or considering extending housing hazard safeguards to the private rented sector.
Department of Health and Social Care
6 Recommendation First Report - Prevention in health and… Deferred

Voluntary quality standards for housing development fail to adequately protect residents' health.

An absence of hazards is not enough on its own to ensure that housing protects residents’ health. Space, design and location matter, and these should not be the preserve of those who are able to afford more expensive housing. Several standards exist to support the development of housing that is …

Government response. The government deflected the recommendation by discussing the roles of local directors of public health and Integrated Care Boards, stating there are no plans to alter ICB membership requirements, rather than addressing housing quality standards, space, design, or developer requirements …
Department of Health and Social Care

Oral evidence sessions

9 sessions
Date Witnesses
20 May 2024 Adrian Chiles, TV presenter and author of The Good Drinker, Ailsa Rutter OBE · Fresh and Balance, Alice Wiseman · Association of Directors of Public Health, Sir Ian Gilmore · Alcohol Health Alliance View ↗
6 Feb 2024 Andy Tighe · The British Beer and Pub Association, Asma Khalil · The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG), Hazel Cheeseman · Action Against Smoking, Karen Tyrell · Drinkaware, Matt Lambert · The Portman Group, Professor Peter Hajek · Wolfson Institute of Population Health Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry Queen Mary University of London, Sandra Ionno Butcher · The National Organisation for FASD View ↗
5 Feb 2024 Professor Javed Khan OBE · Equi View ↗
18 Oct 2023 Chris Naylor · The King's Fund, Dr Mark Green · University of Liverpool, Julia Thrift · Town and Country Planning Association, Simon Reeve · Office for Health Improvement and Disparities View ↗
5 Sep 2023 David Finch · The Health Foundation, Dr Henry Burridge · Imperial College London, Dr Jill Stewart · University of Greenwich, Helen Garrett · Building Research Establishment View ↗
11 Jul 2023 Chris Boardman · Active Travel England, Mark Lawrie · StreetGames, Tom Hollingsworth · Sport England View ↗
23 May 2023 Dr Nikki Kanani · NHS England, Maria Caulfield · Department of Health and Social Care View ↗
18 Apr 2023 Ben Lucas · The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI), Doctor Mary Ramsay · UK Health Security Agency, Professor Dame Jenny Harries · UK Health Security Agency, Professor Sir Andrew Pollard · Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, Rebecca Catterick · Sanofi Vaccines UK & Ireland, Stuart Carroll · Moderna View ↗
21 Feb 2023 Dr Jeanelle De Gruchy, Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England · Department for Health and Social Care, Jonathan Marron · Department for Health and Social Care, Professor Sir Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer for England View ↗

Correspondence

4 letters
DateDirectionTitle
18 Oct 2023 Correspondence from the Secretary of State, Steve Barclay MP, on a Smokfree Gen…
18 Oct 2023 Correspondence from the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Neil O' Brien M…
18 Oct 2023 Correspondence from Diabetes UK on consideration of obesity in the prevention i…
5 Sep 2023 Correspondence from the Chief Executive of Sport England, Tim Hollingsworth fol…