Health and Social Care Bill

Insert the following new Clause—

“Public Health England

(1) Public Health England shall be an executive agency engaged in the exercise of public health functions accountable to the Secretary of State.

(2) Public Health England shall have a board chaired by an independent chair.

(3) The board shall have a majority of independent non-executive directors appointed by the Secretary of State.

(4) Any appointment of the independent chair or independent non-executive directors of Public Health England shall be made by the Secretary of State after consultation with the Faculty of Public Health and such other bodies as the Secretary of State considers appropriate.

(5) Public Health England shall be able to—

(a) undertake independent research;

(b) bid for funding for research from research councils, charities and national and international funding agencies;

(c) publish research findings;

(d) tender for contracts, including research for work related to the functions of The Agency.”