Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to ensure that local authorities that commission public health services appoint resident representatives to their commissioning (a) board and (b) working groups to help determine the appropriateness of local initiatives.

Upper tier and unitary local authorities (LAs) in England have a duty to take the steps they believe are appropriate to improve the health of their local populations. LAs are directly accountable to their electorates for the way in which they discharge their duty and generally should decide for themselves how best to involve local residents in informing public health commissioning decisions.

However, LAs with health improvement duties must establish Health and Wellbeing Boards that bring together representatives from the local National Health Service, public health, social care and beyond to agree joint strategic needs assessments for the area. Each of these LAs also has a corresponding Local Healthwatch, organisations that aim to give citizens a strong voice in influencing and challenging how health and social care services are provided within their locality. All Health and Wellbeing Boards must include a Local Healthwatch member.