Cash for public health should be ring-fenced for the foreseeable future, according to the chief executive of Public Health England (PHE).

Duncan Selbie was speaking in response to a report by watchdog the National Audit Office into the PHE.

The report found that, in it’s first year, the agency had made some key achievements and had increase transparency in public health.

However, it said some authorities had yet to align spending with areas of concern, and the department has yet to decide whether to keep the ring-fence in place. If it is removed, the NAO claims the impact would be ‘uncertain’.

In 2013/14, its first year of operation, PHE disbursed £2.7bn – out of total £5.8bn public health expenditure – to 152 upper tier authorities to help councils undertake their public health responsibilities.

The public health allocation for 2014/15 is £5.9bn in total, with local authorities to receive £2.8bn in grant-funding.

Head of the NAO, Sir Amyas Morse, said: ‘The agency’s ability to influence and support public health outcomes will be tested further if the grant paid to local authorities were no longer to be ring-fenced.’

In response, Mr Selbie, said: ‘Our advice to government is that the ring-fence should remain in place for the foreseeable future.’

He added: ‘Should, at some point, the ring-fence be removed we agree this will present a set of challenges to ensure continued investment in public health, although we are encouraged by the fulsome commitment of local government to their statutory duty to improve the public’s health.’

Mr Selbie also said he accepted the auditors main recommendations, adding there was ‘inevitably’ more for PHE do.

But he stressed the NAO found PHE had made a good start in its first full year of operation and vowed ‘to go to the ends of the earth’ to ensure directors of public health, and crucially chief executives, had all the support they needed.