§ Mr. Alan CampbellTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the impact of healthy living centres. [170417]
§ Miss Melanie JohnsonHealthy living centres (HLCs) have a key role to play in reducing inequalities and supporting the work of other statutory and voluntary organisations locally.
The New Opportunities Fund has commissioned the Bridge Consortium to carry out a four-year evaluation of the programme which will focus on health impact monitoring and issues of sustainability, partnership and social exclusion.
The Department has commissioned its own evaluation of the HLC programme through the Tavistock Institute against key health priorities, such as cancer and coronary heart disease prevention. The institute will be encouraged to publish its findings and the Health Development Agency will incorporate the findings into evidence and practice reviews.
Interim findings from the New Opportunities Fund's evaluation are already available on the New Opportunities Fund website at www.nof.org.uk.