Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Baroness Sherlock on 19 January (HL13272 and HL13273), whether information on the shape and remit of the Vanguard Taskforce and the Workplace Health Intelligence Unit has now been confirmed; what the terms of reference and membership of the Vanguard Taskforce are; and what the remit, governance arrangements, and operational timetable of the Workplace Health Intelligence Unit are.

Work is progressing at pace on the Keep Britain Working Vanguard Phase following publication of the review’s final report in November. Led by Sir Charlie Mayfield, Co-Chair of the Vanguard Phase, we have been working closely with Vanguard employers, regions and stakeholders to mobilise the Vanguard Phase.

As part of this, a Vanguard Taskforce/ Advisory Group has now been established and is chaired by Sir Charlie Mayfield, in partnership with the Department for Work and Pensions, the Department of Health and Social Care and the Department for Business and Trade. The Taskforce brings together external experts from across business, trade unions, health, and disability and inclusion fields; full membership has been published as part of the Keep Britain Working March update, on Gov.uk (Annex B).

The Taskforce is an external advisory body. It provides independent advice, insight and constructive challenge to support delivery of the Vanguard Phase, including testing and refining emerging proposals and advising on the feasibility and impact of workplace health interventions. It has no decision-making powers, with policy decisions remaining with Ministers. The full terms of reference will be published on Gov.uk in due course.

We are making progress on setting up the Workplace Health Intelligence Unit (WHIU). During the Vanguard Phase we are working with employers, experts and partners to design the Unit’s functions and operating model, including how it can best act as a central hub for evidence, insight and employer-facing support. This includes considering its governance arrangements and how it will work across Government to maximise impact. Further detail on the Unit will be set out in due course as this design work progresses.