Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will discuss with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government steps to encourage local authorities (a) to use their powers under section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and (b) in other ways to allocate space for surgeries in new developments.

Departmental officials have regular contact with those at the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG). Discussions have included the funding of local infrastructure through the community infrastructure levy and section 106 agreements. We consider that national planning guidance published by DCLG provides local planning authorities with the required information to enable them to assess the future provision of local infrastructure which will include health and social care facilities.

The provision of national health services in England is managed by clinical commissioning groups and NHS England. In order to assess whether new surgeries or other healthcare facilities will be required as a result of new development, local planning authorities should engage with these commissioners.

They should be able to assess whether existing health services will be adversely affected by a new residential scheme and if so, what additional healthcare facilities would be required. This could include the enlargement of existing premises or lead to a requirement for new accommodation. Based on this information, the local planning authority has to make a decision on the appropriate funding arrangements for the required infrastructure resulting from a new development.

We consider the best solution in this matter is for local planning authorities to use their existing powers to consult with the commissioners rather than any intervention by the Department.