Health Promotion Bill [HL]

1 Office of Health Promotion

(1)

The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities is re-established as the
Office of Health Promotion (“the Office”).

(2)

The Office is an independent advisory board to the Department for Health
and Social Care.

(3)

The Office of Health Promotion will—

(a)

identify and address health disparities, focusing on those groups and
areas where health inequalities have greatest effect;

(b)

take action on the biggest preventable risk factors for ill health and
premature death including tobacco, obesity and harmful use of alcohol
and drugs;

(c)

work with the NHS and local government to improve access to the
services which detect and act on health risks and conditions, as early
as possible;

(d)

develop strong partnerships across government, communities, industry
and employers, to act on the wider factors that contribute to people’s
health, such as work, housing and education;

(e)

drive innovation in health improvement, harnessing the best of
technology, analytics, and innovations in policy and delivery, to help
deliver change where it is needed most.

(4)

As part of its duties, the Office must publish a National Plan for Sport.

(5)

The aim of the National Plan for Sport is to—

(a)

direct funding for sporting and recreational facilities;

(b)

include measures to promote physical access to the countryside for
sports and recreation;

(c)

identify ways in which schools and colleges are to be encouraged to
develop closer links with local sports clubs;

(d)

include a fully costed National Sporting and Recreational Facilities
Plan and specific efforts to tackle discrimination in sporting and
recreational facilities and ensure there is a safe environment for all
participants;

(e)

instil a life-long habit of sport and physical activity throughout the
education system;

(f)

include a comprehensive approach to welfare, care and safeguarding
in sporting and recreational facilities, including reports on enforcement
of welfare, care and safeguarding standards in sports governing bodies;

(g)

lead national efforts to improve people’s physical and mental health
and tackle obesity by promoting physical activity;

(h)

establish a Physical Activity Observatory to act as a centre for
independent research and analysis of physical activity data to input
into the design of the National Plan for Sport;

(i)

promote, encourage and raise awareness of the benefits of participation
in sport for health, longevity, fitness, social interaction and wellbeing,
and the other health benefits of exercise for all individuals, with the
aim of preventing the onset of avoidable physical and mental illness
and protecting people's health.

2 Coordination and integration

(1)

The Office must coordinate with all departments of the Government to
implement the National Plan for Sport, ensuring integration and connectivity
on issues relating to access to sporting and recreational facilities essential to
public physical and mental health.

(2)

The Office must encourage and support local government and inter-agency
coordination on access to sporting and recreational facilities essential to public
physical and mental health.

3 Extent, commencement and short title

(1)

This Act extends to England and Wales.

(2)

This Act comes into force on the day on which it is passed.

(3)

This Act may be cited as the Health Promotion Act 2022.