Environmental health and the Devolution Bill

Overview of the bill and its relevance to environmental health

The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill is a restructuring of local government in England, which aims to create a default framework for devolution, including new powers over areas like health, housing and economic development for devolved areas across England.

The Bill underlines a commitment to place-based, strategic governance that supports community empowerment while aligning with broader public sector reform initiatives such as the NHS's 10-Year Plan and the prevention agenda through granting new powers and responsibilities to new and existing Strategic Authorities.

This Bill carries significant implications for environmental health professionals, particularly those working within local authorities. The centralisation of strategic powers and the redefinition of roles across regional boundaries will directly impact their day-to-day functions. While the reforms present opportunities to raise the profile of environmental health within newly established governance structures, there is also a real risk to communities if the profession’s expertise and contributions are not adequately recognised and safeguarded.

Strategic restructuring: what is being proposed?

Key clause: Clause 43 – A duty for public health

This clause introduces a statutory duty for all Combined and County Combined Authorities to actively improve public health in their areas.

It marks a pivotal policy shift by extending a responsibility that had previously been trialled voluntarily (e.g., in Greater Manchester and the East Midlands) to all Strategic Authorities.

Authorities will now be legally required to:

• Consider health improvement as part of all functions.
• Address health inequalities in regional policy and service delivery.

Implications:

• Aligns closely with NHS and Integrated Care System (ICS) objectives around population health.
• Offers opportunities for EHPs to engage with place-based public health delivery as advisers or commissioners.
• Reinforces environmental health's contribution to the wider prevention agenda within the profession.

CIEH letter to Government

CIEH has written to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government for further guidance on how they envisage the clause working in practice. On 21 August 2025, Jim McMahon, the Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution, wrote back to us to confirm that the Bill intends to create in law a default framework for devolution that provides new powers in areas such as health and public safety across England.

The minister also said that the new bespoke duty introduced by the Bill is designed to provide consistency across all Combined Authorities and Combined County Authorities in future, bringing them together under one duty whilst complementing and supporting the existing local authority public health duty.

Strategic alignment

The Bill arrives at a time when the NHS is undergoing its own reform, with a renewed focus on prevention, early intervention, and cross-sector integration through the 10-Year Plan. The creation of new regional governance bodies under Clause 43 could mirror or align with similar structures in NHS and ICS configurations.

EHPs are uniquely placed to bridge gaps across environmental, health, and housing domains - making them valuable actors in this reformed landscape. However, this will be realised only if their roles are clearly defined and embedded in strategic decision-making structures.

Risks and challenges: The potential for marginalisation

Despite the opportunities, the Bill poses risks to the visibility and influence of Environmental Health, as services are restructured and roles become more regionalised:

• EHPs will need the profession to be formally integrated into the governance of new authorities.
• Understanding of place-based public health needs will need to span authority boundaries.
• EHP expertise in housing, food safety, air quality and health protection must be considered by the leadership teams in the new authorities.

Next steps: Supporting the profession through change

CIEH is closely monitoring the progression of the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill and its implications for the environmental health profession. We have already begun engaging with relevant ministers and stakeholders to ensure the voice of Environmental Health is represented during this crucial period of reform.

We are committed to keeping our members informed and equipped to navigate the changes ahead. As the Bill develops, we will:

• Continue our engagement with government and key decision-makers to advocate for the vital role of Environmental Health Practitioners.
• Highlight the profession’s critical contributions to prevention, public health improvement, and community resilience.
• Provide timely updates and resources to support members as new governance structures take shape.

Next steps for the Bill

The Bill passed its Second Reading and will be sent to a Public Bill Committee for its Committee Stage. The committee will begin their review on 15 September and there will likely be a call for evidence. CIEH will create a member-led expert consultation panel to review and approve our submission. We will be actively engaging with members to reflect their interests and concerns about the new Bill.

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