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<p>We accept entirely the centrality of mental health and wellbeing to public health
and the need for parity of esteem across health services. While it is right for local
authorities (LAs) to determine their own local priorities and account to their own
electorates, the Department’s Public Health Outcomes Framework – which defines areas
for improvement across the public health system, and to which LAs must have regard
– includes a number of indicators that relate directly to mental health. Public Health
England collects and publishes LA-level data for all these indicators and will continue
to support and advise LAs on the evidence base for effective mental health interventions.</p><p>
</p><p>We have no plans to require LAs to report spending on public mental health.
LAs’ public health functions cover a wide range of activity, and it is important for
central government to limit its demands for information from local government to a
minimum. LAs would also be unable to disaggregate their spending on, for example,
a drug or alcohol misuse service in order to isolate a sum that could be attributed
purely to the mental health aspect of the service.</p>
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