Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how the proposed £200 million reductions in the public health budget will be distributed; what proportion will be to (1) central funds, and (2) local public health authority funds; by what formula the allocation of spending reductions amongst local authorities is distributed; and what advice they plan to give to local public health authorities about which services or activities should carry the reductions.

We are committed to implementing these savings in a way which will minimise any impact on services. We consulted from 31 July to 28 August 2015 on the best way of delivering the required savings, which will be applied to local authorities’ public health grant allocations, and are currently considering responses.