Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the NHS Long Term Plan and NHS Planning Guidance commitments for 2019- with reference to the NHS Long Term Plan and NHS Planning Guidance commitments for 2019-20, what progress his Department has made against the commitment to work across Government to develop a Healthy New Towns standard including a Healthy Homes Quality Mark to be awarded to places that meet the high standards and principles that promote health and wellbeing; and if he will make a statement.

NHS England established a three-year Healthy New Towns programme in 2016 to look at how health and wellbeing can be planned and designed into new places. The programme brings together national and local partners in housebuilding, local government, healthcare and local communities to demonstrate how to create places that offer people improved choices and chances for a healthier life. This has included working with 10 demonstrator sites across England.

In September 2018, NHS England published ‘Putting Health into Place Introducing NHS England’s Healthy New Towns programme’ to update on progress. The publication included case studies from the demonstrator sites and introduced the 10 Healthy New Towns principles and how they were developed. A copy can be found at the following link:

www.england.nhs.uk/publication/putting-health-into-place/

Further guidelines will be published later this year.