Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Health Inequalities

Tuesday 7 March 2023 · 4 questions

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • We announced in January that we will publish a major conditions strategy to address disparities in health outcomes.
  • The Government is looking at disposable vapes closely to prevent their use among children.
  • The public health grant will be announced within days, along with additional funding for drugs spending and the Start for Life programme.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Rupa Huq Lab Ealing Central and Acton
NHS
Context

The MP references recent media reports about WhatsApp messages related to COVID-19 and disproportionate deaths in black, Asian, and minority ethnic communities. She also cites a 20-year life expectancy gap between affluent and poorest wards.

Question

What steps he is taking to help tackle health inequalities. The daily dump of WhatsApp messages in the papers reminds us of covid and the disproportionate deaths suffered by black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. What with that and the figures showing a 20-year gap between life expectancies in our nation's most affluent and poorest wards, why is it that the Government scrapped a proposed White Paper on health inequalities?

Answer from Neil O'Brien

We announced in January that we will publish a major conditions strategy, which will apply a geographical lens to each condition to address disparities in health outcomes. We have doubled the duty on cigarettes since 2010 and now have the lowest smoking rate on record. We are investing an extra £900 million through the drugs strategy, increasing funding by 40%, and to fight obesity we have introduced the sugar tax and measures such as the extra £330 million for school sport. In addition, we have the Start for Life programme, with another £300 million to improve young people's start in life. We are absolutely committed to tackling health disparities and driving forward work on all fronts.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific reasons why the proposed White Paper was scrapped were not provided

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Q2 Rupa Huq Lab Ealing Central and Acton
NHS
Context

The MP references recent media reports about WhatsApp messages related to COVID-19 and disproportionate deaths in black, Asian, and minority ethnic communities. She also cites a 20-year life expectancy gap between affluent and poorest wards.

Question

Why is it that the Government scrapped a proposed White Paper on health inequalities?

Answer from Neil O'Brien

As I just said, we are driving forward all that work through the major conditions paper. In addition, we have the Start for Life programme, with another £300 million to improve young people's start in life. We are absolutely committed to tackling health disparities and driving forward work on all fronts.

Not addressed: The specific reasons for scrapping the White Paper were not addressed

How: Changed Subject

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Q3 Caroline Johnson Con Sleaford and North Hykeham
Children & Families
Context

The MP raises concerns about vaping becoming a trend for non-smoking youth, despite being designed as a stop-smoking aid.

Question

What are the Government doing to prevent disposable vapes from becoming a fad among children?

Answer from Neil O'Brien

My hon. Friend is quite right. It is something that we are looking at very closely, as she knows from previous conversations. While vaping can be an aid in quitting smoking—it helped about 800,000 people to do so last year—we must stop its use being driven up among children.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific measures were not detailed

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Q4 Andrew Gwynne Ind Gorton and Denton
NHS
Context

The MP mentions a delay in the announcement of public health funding, citing concern from over 30 public health leaders that this is putting services at risk.

Question

When will the public health grant be announced?

Answer from Neil O'Brien

The public health grant will be announced within days, not weeks. When it is announced, the Opposition will see that, as well as generously funding public health, we will be funding an extra £900 million on drugs spending to transform treatment and an extra £300 million through the Start for Life programme. We will continue to ramp up support for public health.

Answered
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