Source · Select Committees · Health and Social Care Committee
Recommendation 9
9
Accepted
Paragraph: 38
Lack of clarity and integration post-PHE hinders health promotion in planning applications.
Recommendation
The former Public Health England’s Healthy Places team had a clear remit to support healthy development. Following PHE’s dissolution and the division of its responsibilities, there is a lack of clarity over which part of DHSC is now responsible for this role, and a lack of formal integration between DHSC and the organisations responsible for assessing planning applications. These is, however, encouraging evidence elsewhere of Departments enabling a greater focus on health in planning: for example, Active Travel England’s statutory role assessing applications for large housing developments. There are clear opportunities to go further in this vein: for example, by clarifying and formalising OHID’s role.
Government Response Summary
The government states that the former Public Health England's Healthy Places team transferred to the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) within DHSC, where officials continue their work to improve public health through the built and natural environment.
Paragraph Reference:
38
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
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.