Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Public Health Grant

Tuesday 10 March 2020 · 5 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 5 Partly answered 0 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Minister announced real-terms increases in public health grant allocation for every local authority.
  • Response to questions clarified that the budget increases would be detailed in the next couple of days.
  • Secretary of State highlighted the need to refocus public health efforts on infectious diseases like covid-19 in future allocations.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Mick Whitley Q1
NHS Local Government
Context

Councils are facing uncertainty due to delays in publishing public health budgets, which could lead to cuts in nursing staff.

Question

Despite the urgency of the coronavirus situation at the moment, we could see local councils planning to cut numbers of nurses, even though they would be very much needed, simply because the councils do not know what their public health budgets are. Does the Minister think that is acceptable?

Answer from Matthew Hancock

No, and that is why I have just announced that every local authority will see a real-terms increase in their grant allocation so that that does not have to happen.

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Q2 Vicky Foxcroft Lab
NHS Economy Local Government
Context

Lewisham Council has experienced significant cuts to its public health grant, leading to challenges in the public health team, exacerbated by coronavirus.

Question

Between 2017 and 2020, the Government have cut nearly £4 million from Lewisham Council's public health grant, and the public health team is facing many challenges, not least from coronavirus. What does the Secretary of State mean by “imminently”? Councils need certainty. Given the pressure that local teams are under, will he look to restore funding to 2010 levels, in line with population growth and inflation?

Answer from Matthew Hancock

As I say, every local authority will see real-terms increases in their allocation, and by imminently I mean in the next couple of days.

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Q3 Sharon Hodgson Lab
Local Government
Context

Local authorities are concerned about the exact nature of the additional funds promised by the Government and need immediate clarity.

Question

The Secretary of State keeps saying that local authorities do not need to worry about any of this, as the Government have said that they will be giving local authorities more money. Well, I asked my local authority on Friday whether that reassured it, and, surprise, surprise, it did not. That is because “more” can mean anything. Is it a penny more? Is it a pound more? Is it £100 more? Is it £1 million more? There is a bit of a difference. When will he let them know? He has now said that “imminently” means in a couple of days' time. Exactly what is he waiting for? Is it the Budget?

Answer from Matthew Hancock

As I say, the good news is that local authorities can all plan, with confidence, on the basis that these budgets are going up in real terms, and the exact details will be set out imminently.

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Q4 Andrew Murrison Con South West Wiltshire
NHS
Context

There is a need to refocus public health efforts towards infectious diseases, given the recent epidemics such as covid-19.

Question

Traditionally, public health was about infectious diseases and sanitation. More recently, it has become about lifestyle issues. Given the epidemics of the 21st century, particularly covid-19, what measures will the Secretary of State be taking, in allocating the public health grant, to refocus on infectious diseases, both current and those that are likely to come?

Answer from Matthew Hancock

That is an incredibly important question—one that we will be addressing in the run-up to the spending review. The truth is that the public health grant is but one small part of the overall effort of local authorities to improve the health of the residents they serve. Although it is an important part, and it is good that it is going up in real terms for every local authority, we have clearly got to ensure that the whole effort of a local authority is there to improve public health.

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Q5 Tim Farron Lib Dem
NHS
Context

There is a significant difference in public health funding per capita between regions, with older populations bearing the brunt of this inequality.

Question

All the evidence suggests that coronavirus is of greatest risk to those who are older in our population. The average age in my constituency is 10 years above the national average, yet in public health allocations Cumbria gets only £36 per head, as opposed to the national average of £63 per head and £100 per head for many parts of London. Does the Secretary of State agree that that is a dangerous inequality? Will he fix it in the upcoming statement?

Answer from Matthew Hancock

The inequalities in health outcomes are what I am particularly concerned about, especially the length of healthy life expectancy, which is of course affected by both communicable and non-communicable diseases, the public health around both of those important considerations and the wider issues that my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Wiltshire (Dr Murrison) just mentioned. We will take all of that into account as we look at how the public health grant is best allocated and best used, ahead of the spending review.

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