§ 21. Mr. Tony LloydTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the link between poverty and health in Manchester. [131872]
§ Mr. DenhamThere are a number of social, economic and environmental factors which contribute to poor health in Manchester. Both the White Paper, "Our Healthier Nation", and the NHS Plan acknowledge the links between poverty and health. A series of inter-departmental initiatives are in place to tackle the underlying inequalities, for example the Manchester, Salford and Trafford health action zone, the Healthy Cities programme and the New Deal for communities.