Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help reduce differences in life expectancy between different areas within the Stockport constituency.

The UK faces significant health inequalities, with life expectancy and healthy life expectancy varying widely across and between communities. Our 10-Year Health Plan sets out a reimagined service designed to tackle inequalities in both access and outcomes, to ensure the NHS is there for anyone who needs it whenever they need it.

The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) North West (the Regional Team) operates across the North West of England, covering the geography of Cumbria, Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Cheshire and Merseyside and serving a population of 7.5 million people.

The Regional Team works with and supports North West local authorities across a wide range of portfolios that support taking action on health inequalities. These include 0-19 services, smoking cessation, drug and alcohol services, physical activity and obesity, mental wellbeing, work and health, wider determinants of health and health literacy.

In addition, the public health grant is paid to local authorities and is used to improve population health, prevent illness, and reduce health inequalities.