Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps with Cabinet colleagues to publish a cross-government strategy to reduce health inequalities including tackling the potential impact of damp, cold and mould on people's health.

The Government is driving action to reduce health inequalities through the 10-Year Health Plan, which stated our commitment to halve the gap in the healthy expectancy between the richest and poorest regions.

The 10-Year Health Plan recognises that people’s health and wellbeing are influenced by factors other than health service. The plan sets out actions being taken across the Government to tackle the wider determinants of health, for example, action is being taken to address poor-quality housing and the impact of damp, mould, and excess cold on health. This includes working with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to implement the new Decent Homes Standard and Awaab’s Law, and with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, to implement the Warm Homes Plan and Fuel Poverty Strategy for England.

By improving the standard of rented homes and through the £15 billion of investment announced in the Warm Homes Plan, we will help to make homes warmer, more comfortable, and more energy-efficient to improve health and reduce health inequalities.

Further cross-Government action includes legislating for a new statutory health and health inequalities duty for strategic authorities, the Homelessness Strategy, and the Child Poverty Strategy.