Asked by: Baroness Royall of Blaisdon (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will publish their final response to recommendations made in the Report of the Independent Panel led by Dr Philip Augar.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The government is carefully considering its response to the Review of Post-18 Education and Funding, to which the independent panel reported. We remain committed to introducing further reforms which will ensure a sustainable student finance system, drive up the quality of higher education provision, and promote genuine social mobility. We plan to consult on further reforms to the higher education system before setting out a full conclusion to the Review of Post-18 Education and Funding.
Asked by: Baroness Royall of Blaisdon (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what specific measures will be included in the Ministry of Justice’s temporary accommodation service for prison leavers to address the complex needs of vulnerable women.
Answered by Lord Wolfson of Tredegar
We are investing more than £20m in supporting prison leavers at risk of homelessness into temporary accommodation. Individuals released from prison will be provided up to 12 weeks of temporary accommodation and will be supported to secure long-term settled accommodation before the end of that 12-week period. Initially launching in five probation regions, the service will support around 3,000 offenders in its first year and will be commencing this Summer. It will be in operation during the financial year 2021-22, with a view to scaling up and rolling out nationally.
The service will take account of the needs of women, including those with complex needs, and accommodation provision will be dedicated to single gender usage as required. Community Probation Practitioners, working together with local partners, will be responsible for ensuring that vulnerable female prison leavers receive appropriate support and are provided with housing beyond the 12 weeks’ emergency accommodation.
Commissioned Rehabilitation Services are due to start delivery on 26 June 2021 which includes services to assist in accommodation; employment training and education; financial benefit and debt and personal well-being.
These provide a holistic service for all women leaving prison by providers based in the community in to which they are released. The accommodation service and mentoring service both start pre-release. The mentoring service aims to support those who lack social support in making the transition from prison to community and to assist in building social networks.
Asked by: Baroness Royall of Blaisdon (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government on what basis there is a limit on non-professional singers of six people singing indoors in the context of restrictions in place to address the COVID-19 pandemic; and why this limit is more restrictive than the one that was in place in autumn 2020.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
We know that the restrictions on singing are frustrating to large numbers of amateur choirs and performance groups across the country and that many people have made sacrifices in order to drive down infections and protect the NHS over the last year.
However, it is important that we take a cautious approach in easing restrictions. We have followed the views of public health experts on singing. We are aware, through the NERVTAG and PERFORM studies that singing can increase the risk of COVID-19 transmission through the spread of aerosol droplets. This was backed up by a consensus statement from SAGE, resulting in the suggested principles of safer singing being published.
We will continue to keep guidance and restrictions under review, in line with the changing situation. Further detail on step 4 will be set out as soon as possible.
Asked by: Baroness Royall of Blaisdon (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of people per year who have attempted suicide and, prior to their deaths, (1) had been diagnosed with, and (2) had been treated for (a) cancer, (b) neurological diseases, (c) respiratory diseases, or (d) heart or circulatory diseases, in the previous 12 months.
Answered by Lord Bethell
We have made no such estimate as information on attempted suicides is not held.
Asked by: Baroness Royall of Blaisdon (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of people per year who die as a result of suicide and, prior to their deaths, (1) had been diagnosed with, and (2) had been treated for (a) cancer, (b) neurological disease, (c) respiratory disease, or (d) heart or circulatory disease, in the previous 12 months.
Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have therefore asked the Authority to respond.
Professor Sir Ian Diamond | National Statistician
The Baroness Royall of Blaisdon
House of Lords
London
SW1A 0PW
10 February 2021
Dear Baroness Royall,
As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am responding to your Parliamentary Questions asking what estimate has been made of proportion of deaths per year recorded as suicide where the person had been diagnosed with a terminal illness (HL13017); what consideration has been given to collecting data on deaths recorded as suicides where a terminally ill person has taken their own life (HL13018); and the number of people per year who die as a result of suicide and, prior to their deaths, (1) had been diagnosed with, and (2) had been treated for (a) cancer, (b) neurological disease, (c) respiratory disease, or (d) heart or circulatory disease, in the previous 12 months (HL13019).
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) publishes annual suicide death registration statistics for England and Wales as part of our annual statistical release for the UK[1],[2]. The latest available figures were published by the ONS in September 2020 and covered calendar years up to 2019.
The information we hold on deaths is limited to what is recorded at death registration, which is based primarily on the death certificate by a doctor, or information about the cause and circumstances of the death provided by a coroner. We are unable at present to collect data or provide figures specifically on suicide where the person had been diagnosed with a terminal illness, since information on the deceased’s circumstances prior to death, such as diagnosis or treatment, is not among the particulars generally recorded on the death certificate.
Table 1 below shows the number of deaths where the underlying cause was suicide, and where the conditions requested where mentioned as contributory causes for the latest available year. It is important to note that death certificates do not record all health conditions the deceased might have had if they did not contribute directly or indirectly to the cause of death.
The ONS has acquired a range of other datasets, including Hospital Episode Statistics and General Practitioner records, which will be linked to mortality records. It is possible that we will be able to use such data linkages in the future to understand how many people who die by suicide had a terminal illness.
Yours sincerely,
Professor Sir Ian Diamond
Table 1: Number of deaths where the underlying cause was suicide and where cancer, neurological, respiratory or heart disease was mentioned as a contributory cause; England and Wales, registered in 2019[3][4][5][6][7]1,2,3,4,5
Cause of death | Deaths |
All Suicide | 5,691 |
...of which mentioned cancer | 56 |
...of which mentioned neurological disease | 264 |
...of which mentioned respiratory disease | 168 |
…of which mentioned heart disease | 321 |
Source: ONS
[1]https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/bulletins/suicidesintheunitedkingdom/latest
[2] Due to operational difficulties, suicides registered in 2019 in Northern Ireland and Scotland were unavailable at the time of analysis, and so last year’s annual release is for England and Wales only. The ONS will update the UK figures at a later stage.
[3] The National Statistics definition of suicide is given in Box 1 below for deaths registered since 2001.
[4] The definitions used to define the selected contributory causes are given in Box 2 below.
[5] Figures for England and Wales (area code K04000001) include deaths of non-residents, based on postcode boundaries as of November 2020.
[6] Figures are for deaths registered, rather than deaths occurring in each calendar year. Due to the length of time it takes to complete a coroner’s inquest, it can take months or even years for a suicide to be registered. More details can be found in the ‘Suicide Registrations In The UK’ statistical bulletin.
[7] A single death certificate may contain a number of contributory causes. For this reason, the categories above are not mutually exclusive.
Box 1: International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes used to define suicide
ICD-10 codes | Description | Notes |
X60-X84 | Intentional self-harm | Persons aged 10 years and above |
|
|
|
Y10-Y34 | Injury/poisoning of undetermined intent | Persons aged 15 years and above; excludes Y33.9 where coroner’s verdict was pending for the years 2001 - 2006 |
Box 2: International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes used to define the selected contributory causes
ICD-10 Codes | Description |
C00-D48 | Cancer |
G00-G99 | Neurological Disease |
J00-J99 | Respiratory Disease |
I00-I99 | Heart Disease |
Asked by: Baroness Royall of Blaisdon (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to collecting data on deaths recorded as suicides where a terminally ill person has taken their own life.
Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have therefore asked the Authority to respond.
Professor Sir Ian Diamond | National Statistician
The Baroness Royall of Blaisdon
House of Lords
London
SW1A 0PW
10 February 2021
Dear Baroness Royall,
As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am responding to your Parliamentary Questions asking what estimate has been made of proportion of deaths per year recorded as suicide where the person had been diagnosed with a terminal illness (HL13017); what consideration has been given to collecting data on deaths recorded as suicides where a terminally ill person has taken their own life (HL13018); and the number of people per year who die as a result of suicide and, prior to their deaths, (1) had been diagnosed with, and (2) had been treated for (a) cancer, (b) neurological disease, (c) respiratory disease, or (d) heart or circulatory disease, in the previous 12 months (HL13019).
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) publishes annual suicide death registration statistics for England and Wales as part of our annual statistical release for the UK[1],[2]. The latest available figures were published by the ONS in September 2020 and covered calendar years up to 2019.
The information we hold on deaths is limited to what is recorded at death registration, which is based primarily on the death certificate by a doctor, or information about the cause and circumstances of the death provided by a coroner. We are unable at present to collect data or provide figures specifically on suicide where the person had been diagnosed with a terminal illness, since information on the deceased’s circumstances prior to death, such as diagnosis or treatment, is not among the particulars generally recorded on the death certificate.
Table 1 below shows the number of deaths where the underlying cause was suicide, and where the conditions requested where mentioned as contributory causes for the latest available year. It is important to note that death certificates do not record all health conditions the deceased might have had if they did not contribute directly or indirectly to the cause of death.
The ONS has acquired a range of other datasets, including Hospital Episode Statistics and General Practitioner records, which will be linked to mortality records. It is possible that we will be able to use such data linkages in the future to understand how many people who die by suicide had a terminal illness.
Yours sincerely,
Professor Sir Ian Diamond
Table 1: Number of deaths where the underlying cause was suicide and where cancer, neurological, respiratory or heart disease was mentioned as a contributory cause; England and Wales, registered in 2019[3][4][5][6][7]1,2,3,4,5
Cause of death | Deaths |
All Suicide | 5,691 |
...of which mentioned cancer | 56 |
...of which mentioned neurological disease | 264 |
...of which mentioned respiratory disease | 168 |
…of which mentioned heart disease | 321 |
Source: ONS
[1]https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/bulletins/suicidesintheunitedkingdom/latest
[2] Due to operational difficulties, suicides registered in 2019 in Northern Ireland and Scotland were unavailable at the time of analysis, and so last year’s annual release is for England and Wales only. The ONS will update the UK figures at a later stage.
[3] The National Statistics definition of suicide is given in Box 1 below for deaths registered since 2001.
[4] The definitions used to define the selected contributory causes are given in Box 2 below.
[5] Figures for England and Wales (area code K04000001) include deaths of non-residents, based on postcode boundaries as of November 2020.
[6] Figures are for deaths registered, rather than deaths occurring in each calendar year. Due to the length of time it takes to complete a coroner’s inquest, it can take months or even years for a suicide to be registered. More details can be found in the ‘Suicide Registrations In The UK’ statistical bulletin.
[7] A single death certificate may contain a number of contributory causes. For this reason, the categories above are not mutually exclusive.
Box 1: International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes used to define suicide
ICD-10 codes | Description | Notes |
X60-X84 | Intentional self-harm | Persons aged 10 years and above |
|
|
|
Y10-Y34 | Injury/poisoning of undetermined intent | Persons aged 15 years and above; excludes Y33.9 where coroner’s verdict was pending for the years 2001 - 2006 |
Box 2: International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes used to define the selected contributory causes
ICD-10 Codes | Description |
C00-D48 | Cancer |
G00-G99 | Neurological Disease |
J00-J99 | Respiratory Disease |
I00-I99 | Heart Disease |
Asked by: Baroness Royall of Blaisdon (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the proportion of deaths per year recorded as suicide where the person had been diagnosed with a terminal illness.
Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have therefore asked the Authority to respond.
Professor Sir Ian Diamond | National Statistician
The Baroness Royall of Blaisdon
House of Lords
London
SW1A 0PW
10 February 2021
Dear Baroness Royall,
As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am responding to your Parliamentary Questions asking what estimate has been made of proportion of deaths per year recorded as suicide where the person had been diagnosed with a terminal illness (HL13017); what consideration has been given to collecting data on deaths recorded as suicides where a terminally ill person has taken their own life (HL13018); and the number of people per year who die as a result of suicide and, prior to their deaths, (1) had been diagnosed with, and (2) had been treated for (a) cancer, (b) neurological disease, (c) respiratory disease, or (d) heart or circulatory disease, in the previous 12 months (HL13019).
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) publishes annual suicide death registration statistics for England and Wales as part of our annual statistical release for the UK[1],[2]. The latest available figures were published by the ONS in September 2020 and covered calendar years up to 2019.
The information we hold on deaths is limited to what is recorded at death registration, which is based primarily on the death certificate by a doctor, or information about the cause and circumstances of the death provided by a coroner. We are unable at present to collect data or provide figures specifically on suicide where the person had been diagnosed with a terminal illness, since information on the deceased’s circumstances prior to death, such as diagnosis or treatment, is not among the particulars generally recorded on the death certificate.
Table 1 below shows the number of deaths where the underlying cause was suicide, and where the conditions requested where mentioned as contributory causes for the latest available year. It is important to note that death certificates do not record all health conditions the deceased might have had if they did not contribute directly or indirectly to the cause of death.
The ONS has acquired a range of other datasets, including Hospital Episode Statistics and General Practitioner records, which will be linked to mortality records. It is possible that we will be able to use such data linkages in the future to understand how many people who die by suicide had a terminal illness.
Yours sincerely,
Professor Sir Ian Diamond
Table 1: Number of deaths where the underlying cause was suicide and where cancer, neurological, respiratory or heart disease was mentioned as a contributory cause; England and Wales, registered in 2019[3][4][5][6][7]1,2,3,4,5
Cause of death | Deaths |
All Suicide | 5,691 |
...of which mentioned cancer | 56 |
...of which mentioned neurological disease | 264 |
...of which mentioned respiratory disease | 168 |
…of which mentioned heart disease | 321 |
Source: ONS
[1]https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/bulletins/suicidesintheunitedkingdom/latest
[2] Due to operational difficulties, suicides registered in 2019 in Northern Ireland and Scotland were unavailable at the time of analysis, and so last year’s annual release is for England and Wales only. The ONS will update the UK figures at a later stage.
[3] The National Statistics definition of suicide is given in Box 1 below for deaths registered since 2001.
[4] The definitions used to define the selected contributory causes are given in Box 2 below.
[5] Figures for England and Wales (area code K04000001) include deaths of non-residents, based on postcode boundaries as of November 2020.
[6] Figures are for deaths registered, rather than deaths occurring in each calendar year. Due to the length of time it takes to complete a coroner’s inquest, it can take months or even years for a suicide to be registered. More details can be found in the ‘Suicide Registrations In The UK’ statistical bulletin.
[7] A single death certificate may contain a number of contributory causes. For this reason, the categories above are not mutually exclusive.
Box 1: International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes used to define suicide
ICD-10 codes | Description | Notes |
X60-X84 | Intentional self-harm | Persons aged 10 years and above |
|
|
|
Y10-Y34 | Injury/poisoning of undetermined intent | Persons aged 15 years and above; excludes Y33.9 where coroner’s verdict was pending for the years 2001 - 2006 |
Box 2: International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes used to define the selected contributory causes
ICD-10 Codes | Description |
C00-D48 | Cancer |
G00-G99 | Neurological Disease |
J00-J99 | Respiratory Disease |
I00-I99 | Heart Disease |
Asked by: Baroness Royall of Blaisdon (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether providing access to applications that support employees' mental health is (1) a taxable payment or (2) a benefit for employees; and, if not, whether they will update the published guidance to reflect this.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
The provision of access to applications that support employees’ mental health can be a taxable benefit in kind in some circumstances. There are statutory tax exemptions for employee support provided as part of recommended medical treatment, or as welfare counselling. If these do not apply, and the cost of providing access does not exceed £50, this may be covered by the exemption for trivial benefits, provided the conditions are met.
Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs have published guidance on the tax treatment of recommended medical treatment, welfare counselling and trivial benefits.
Asked by: Baroness Royall of Blaisdon (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether providing sanitary products for employees is (1) a taxable payment, or (2) a benefit for employees; and, if not, whether they will update the published guidance to reflect this.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
The provision of sanitary products for employees is normally a taxable benefit in kind. Depending on the particular circumstances, the rules on trivial benefits may apply, in which case there would be no tax liability.
Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs have published guidance on the tax treatment of trivial benefits.
Asked by: Baroness Royall of Blaisdon (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will provide details about how local authorities and charities can access the £105 million funding announced for addressing homelessness.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
Nearly?15,000 vulnerable people have been housed in emergency accommodation, including hotels, since the start of the?COVID-19 emergency?, according to returns from local authorities. This includes people coming in directly from the streets, people previously housed in shared night shelters and people who have become vulnerable to rough sleeping during the pandemic.
The 24 June announcement that we are providing local authorities with a further £105 million to enable them to best support those placed into emergency accommodation during the pandemic reflects our commitment to ensure that as few of these people return to the streets as possible. With this included, the overall amount of Government funding specifically spent on rough sleeping and homelessness this year is over half a billion pounds.
We are currently working to finalise the process by which local areas can access this funding as quickly as possible. With various streams of funding becoming available, we want to ensure that the process for local areas to set out their plans for next steps and recovery is coherent and focussed on both short and long-term outcomes for rough sleepers. Further information on the process to allocate funding will be developed with partners and published in due course.
Further information on the process to allocate funding will be developed with partners?and published in due course.