Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what safeguards they will put in place to ensure that decisions relating to public health functions continue to be informed by appropriate expert consultation following the removal of the statutory duty previously held by NHS England.

Following the abolition of NHS England, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, will continue, where appropriate, to obtain public health expert advice and to utilise the best evidence to inform decisions, in accordance with the Ministerial Code. This will include seeking expert advice from committees, such as the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, organisations including the UK Health Security Agency, or individuals such as the Chief Medical Officer.

Integrated care boards’ existing duty to obtain appropriate advice on the prevention, diagnosis, or treatment of illness and the protection or improvement of the public’s health will be retained.