Government responds to Health Select Committee report on physical inactivity

The Government has published its response to the Health Select Committee’s report, released in March, on the impact of physical inactivity and diet on people’s health.

The response highlights the work the Government is doing around increasing the opportunities for people to take part in physical activity, specifically mentioning funding grants given to organisation such as Sport England and Public Health England for campaigns such as This Girl Can and Change4Life that aim to get more people involved in playing sport.

It also highlighted Public Health England’s Everybody Active Every Day framework and its forthcoming OneYou campaign following criticism in the original report, which followed an inquiry led by Health Select Committee Chair Dr Sarah Wollaston MP, that the Government was not providing healthcare professionals with clear enough information to give to patients on how physical activity can improve their health.

The Government also revealed in its response that it is planning on announcing a new cycling and walking investment strategy, as promised in the Infrastructure Act 2015, as soon as practicable “once steps in the relevant legislation have been undertaken”.

The response also highlights how government departments are working more closely together in getting more people active, pointing out that the Department of Health are working with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on school sports and the Department of Transport on encouraging more people to walk and cycle.

To read the full response click here.