Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his plans are for public health alcohol policies and strategies following the merger of Public Health England with NHS Test and Trace and the Joint Biosecurity Centre.
The Government will continue its focus on health improvement and preventing ill-health, with support from the expert teams who currently sit in Public Health England (PHE), who will continue with their excellent work. We are not envisaging any changes to where responsibilities such as drugs, alcohol, gambling and sexual health will sit until spring 2021. We have been consulting with staff and engaging with an external stakeholder advisory group on where PHE’s health improvement functions would be best placed in order to support the public health system in our aim to increase healthy life expectancy. Furthermore we will be consulting with all staff.