Valerie Vaz MP questions Government on public health funding

On Tuesday 12 June 2012, Valerie Vaz, MP for Walsall South, asked the Public Health Minister about the steps the Department of Health is taking to  ring fence money given to local authorities to invest in public health in their areas.

Valerie said:

“I asked the Minister how the Government will ring fence the public health money being given to local authorities. She was not able to say how  this money will be ringfenced. The Minister referred to the need for local authorities to meet public health outcomes, but this does not mean that this money will only be spent on public health, particularly at a time when resources are stretched.”

“Public health is a major issue in Walsall South. My recent report into ‘PCT programmes on Obesity and Diabetes in England’ showed that, in Walsall, obesity prevalence is 27.5% compared to a national average for obesity prevalence of 26.1%. This shows the importance of funding to help tackle these levels in future.

“The government should put more robust measures in place to monitor what happens to public health money once it is received by local authorities.”

A link to the question can be accessed here.