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Copies of the report will be available in the Vote Office.
Suicide
Statement
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe): My honourable friend the Minister of State, Department of Health (Paul Burstow) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
Today I am publishing a consultation on a new suicide prevention strategy for England. Consultation on Preventing Suicide in England: A Cross-Government Outcomes Strategy To Save Lives has been placed in the Library. Copies are available to honourable Members from the Vote Office and to noble Lords from the Printed Paper Office. The document is also available at: www.dh.gov.uk/en/Consultations/Liveconsultations/DH_128065.
Suicide rates in England have been at a historical low recently and are low in comparison to those of most other European countries. However, there were still nearly 4,400 suicides in England in 2009, the latest year for which national data are available.
Suicides are not inevitable. An inclusive society that avoids the marginalisation of individuals and which supports people at times of personal crisis will help to prevent suicides. Government and statutory services also have a role to play. We can build individual and community resilience. We can ensure that vulnerable people in the care of health and social services and at risk of suicide are supported and kept safe from preventable harm. We can also ensure that we intervene quickly when someone is in distress or in crisis.
In developing a new national all-age suicide prevention strategy for England, the Government have built on the successes of the earlier strategy published in 2002. Real progress has been made in reducing the already relatively low suicide rate to record low levels. One of the main changes from the previous strategy is the greater prominence of measures to support families-
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There is no single approach to suicide prevention. It needs a broad co-ordinated system-wide approach that requires input from a wide range of partner agencies, organisations and sectors. People who have been directly affected by the suicide of a family member or friend, the voluntary, statutory and private sectors, academic researchers and government departments can all contribute to a sustained reduction in suicides in England.
The draft strategy sets out our overall objectives:
a reduction in the suicide rate in the general population in England; andbetter support for those bereaved or affected by suicide.We have identified six key areas for action to support delivery of these objectives:
reduce the risk of suicide in key high risk groups;tailor approaches to improve mental health in specific groups;reduce access to the means of suicide;provide better information and support to those bereaved or affected by a suicide;support the media in delivering sensible and sensitive approaches to suicide and suicidal behaviour; and support research, data collection and monitoring.The new health and well-being boards will become the local forum for determining local needs. These boards will be able to support suicide prevention by bringing together local authorities, clinical commissioning groups, directors of public health, adult social services and children's services and local HealthWatch. This presents a unique opportunity for local agencies to look at the wider context and agree how best to marshal resources across agencies to have the greatest positive impact on local health and well-being.
The draft strategy has been developed with the support of leading experts in the field of suicide prevention, including the members of the National Suicide Prevention Strategy Advisory Group under the chairmanship of Professor Louis Appleby CBE. I would like to thank all members of this group for sharing their knowledge and expertise.
The consultation period will close on 11 October 2011.
Terrorism: 7 July Inquest
Statement
The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Browning): My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department (Theresa May) has today made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
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In my Written Ministerial Statement on 9 May, I undertook to inform the House of the Government's response to Lady Justice Hallett's report following her inquests into the 7 July attacks.
All responses have been published on the inquests website earlier today. The Government have not asked for any part of its response to be withheld.
The Government and the Security Service have carefully considered the coroner's report and fully accept the three recommendations directed to it-namely, recommendations 1, 2 and 9. The government response sets out in full the next steps that have been or will be taken to address these three recommendations.
The government response also provides full consideration on areas of concern that were raised by the coroner, but which were not attached to formal recommendations, and considers the broader UK implications of those recommendations addressed to London-based organisations.
Lady Justice Hallett has identified important areas where the Government and local partners, including the emergency services, can work to improve our ability to respond to emergencies. Through the Government's counter-terrorism strategy, CONTEST, and the wider resilience programme led by the Cabinet Office we will work to implement swiftly the actions set out in the Government's response.
A copy of the government response will be placed in the Library of the House.
Young People: Custody
Statement
The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice (Lord McNally): My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Justice (Crispin Blunt) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
Today is the launch of a consultation on the Strategy for the Secure Estate for Children and Young People for England and Wales.
This is a joint publication between the Ministry of Justice and the Youth Justice Board. The consultation invites views on a proposed strategy for the under-18 secure estate for the years 2011-12 to 2014-15. Custody continues to play an important part in the youth justice system for the small number of young people for whom a community sentence is not appropriate. The recent reduction in the number of young people in custody means that the secure estate is now going through a period of change. This presents an opportunity to consider the most appropriate configuration of the estate and consider whether different regimes can deliver improved outcomes.
The consultation will run for 12 weeks, and details on how to respond can be found on the Ministry of Justice website at www.justice.gsi.gov.uk.
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