The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) has published written evidence welcoming the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill.

This written evidence, which was submitted to the House of Commons Public Bill Committee scrutinising the legislation, will form the basis for the organisation’s continuing work on the Bill during its passage through parliament.

In the written evidence CIEH calls for Environmental Health leadership to be embedded in devolved governance at the unitary and strategic level through the creation of a Chief Environmental Health Officer role with a reporting line to an area’s Metro Mayor.

CIEH also welcomes the Bill’s Clause 43 which introduces a statutory duty on combined and county combined authorities to consider health inequalities. CIEH’s written evidence outlines the crucial role its members play in improving various facets of public health and call for government guidance on how Environmental Health Practitioners (EHPs) can help to fulfil this new duty.

CIEH is also calling for Environmental Health teams to be co-located with Public Health directorates to enable integrated action on health inequalities.

CIEH will continue to follow the Bill’s progress through parliament and will seek to advocate for its members at every opportunity.

The written evidence can be found here.

Tim Everett, CIEH member and member of CIEH’s Devolution Bill Consultation Group, said:

“People up and down the country rely on EHPs to protect the everyday things that are most important: the air they breathe, the food they eat and the places they live, work and play.

‘We hope that this evidence, based on the day-to-day experience of our members, will help in the work to argue the case for Environmental Health right at the heart of our new strategic authorities.”