Recommendation 7

HM Government Accepted

As the committee’s report notes, much of what keeps us healthy lies outside the NHS and social care system. The quality of places where people live, work and age and children learn, grow and play is critical to our health - from good quality housing to well-designed neighbourhoods that ensure access to green spaces, and enable physical activity and healthy food choices. Creating healthy places and ensuring good health for all is essential to Levelling Up – it’s about ensuring everyone, wherever they live, can enjoy fulfilling, healthy and productive lives. Addressing the drivers of ill health and reducing health inequalities between places is something the government remains committed to, which is why the Levelling Up White Paper set a Mission to increase healthy life expectancy and reduce disparities between areas. As your report highlights, creating healthier places requires sustained, cross-government commitment, and this is why the mission sets a medium-term ambition stretching to 2030 and beyond. Through the framework of the Health Mission, DHSC and DLUHC facilitate cross departmental engagement on wide ranging issues relating to health, recognising that many of the factors critical to good physical and mental health are the responsibility of partners beyond DHSC and the health service. We are exploring new and existing opportunities for cross-government action on the drivers of health to support progress on the health mission and our wider common interests. We are also working across government to act on a wide range of issues relating to health. The role of local government in our endeavours is critical, as councils are close to their populations and have a detailed understanding of how and where to focus action to meet local health needs. That is why we are supporting local authorities to design good quality housing and places that improve access to green space and physical activity, and to create healthier food environments. For example, DHSC is working with DLUHC and DWP on the Healthy Homes Pilot Programme, which is providing £10 million to support 40 local authorities. The project aims to build the evidence base on what contributes to successful damp and mould enforcement and improved health outcomes for tenants. DHSC continues to support DLUHC with the Renters (Reform) Bill and Social Housing (Regulation) Act. DHSC is supporting Defra in delivery of the Government’s Environmental Improvement Plan. This includes a commitment to developing an evaluation tool to better understand the impact of outdoor interventions on health, wellbeing and disparities. Similarly, the department has collaborated with Natural England to deliver the Green Infrastructure Framework - a major new tool aimed at planners and developers to help increase the amount of green cover to 40% in urban residential areas. DHSC is collaborating with DfT and Active Travel England to help deliver the Government’s cycling and walking plan. We jointly aim to ensure health, wellbeing and action to tackle disparities are embedded across new active travel policies and programmes. This includes improving evaluation, targeting funding to areas of higher health need, and supporting involvement in active travel work by local authority public health teams. The Public Health England Healthy Places team, referred to in paragraph 36 of your report, transferred to the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID), within DHSC, where my officials continue their work to ensure that the design of the built and natural environment contributes to improving the public’s health and reducing health disparities. The team works across Government to support priorities such as the Levelling Up Health mission and undertakes capacity building activity with local systems to help improve health.