Select committee: Health and Social Care Committee

Recommendation 10

First Report - Prevention in health and social care: healthy places Published 19 Jan 2024 Paragraph 39 Addressed to Department of Health and Social Care
Recommendation (the committee's words)
We recommend that OHID be made a statutory consultee for new large housing developments, building on role already accorded to Active Travel England in supporting inclusive, effective and health-protecting development.

From: Health and Social Care Committee, First Report - Prevention in health and social care: healthy places (HC 484), paragraph 39, 19 January 2024

Government response

The government responded to the whole report on 9 May 2024 (deadline 19 March 2024).

Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.

The government says it accepts some of the Committee's recommendations on healthy places but declines others, and states that it has carefully considered all of them.

  • On the Decent Homes Standard, it accepts the recommendation, saying the Renters (Reform) Bill will bring the private rented sector under a standard for the first time and that it "intend[s] to publish our consultation on an updated DHS soon".
  • On Awaab's Law, it accepts the recommendation. It will publish a consultation response and bring forward secondary legislation for social housing "as soon as practicable", but says the private rented sector needs "a different approach".
  • It declines to consult on design and space standards, stating: "we do not believe it is necessary to consult on our design or space standards at this time."
  • It declines to make OHID a statutory consultee, saying new statutory consultees would need to be "clearly justified", and that it is "not currently looking to extend the list of statutory consultees".

Read the government's response ↗ Report an error