Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the state of the relationship between central government and local directors of public health.

The Government fully recognises and values the important role and expertise of local directors of public health (DsPH) as senior leaders, and the vital work they and their teams do to improve and protect the public’s health. DsPH appointments are made jointly by the employing local authority and the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. The Department maintains regular contact both with the representative body, the Associate of Directors of Public Health, and directly with individual DsPH, in particular through the Department’s Places and Regions teams. The Chief Medical Officer also has regular calls with DsPH.