Defence

Johnny Mercer Excerpts

Monday 16th March 2020 Ministerial Corrections

The following is an extract from the Westminster Hall debate on Mental Health of Veterans on 11 March 2020.

[Johnny Mercer]

… The reality when it comes to figures and so on is that we are—the rate of suicide in the service community is eight in 100,000; in the civilian equivalent cohort it is 32 in 100,000. People who have served in the military are less likely to take their own life. However, he is absolutely right that each one of these suicides is a tragedy not only for the individual and their family, but for us as an institution, because we owe this unique debt of gratitude towards those who serve.

[Official Report, 11 March 2020, Vol. 673, c. 126WH.]

Letter of correction from the Minister for Defence People and Veterans, the hon. Member for Plymouth, Moor View (Johnny Mercer):

An error has been identified in my reply to the debate secured by the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross (Jamie Stone).

The correct statement should have been:

[Johnny Mercer]

… The reality when it comes to figures and so on is that we are—the rate of suicide in the service community is eight in 100,000; in the civilian equivalent cohort it is 17 in 100,000. People who have served in the military are less likely to take their own life. However, he is absolutely right that each one of these suicides is a tragedy not only for the individual and their family, but for us as an institution, because we owe this unique debt of gratitude towards those who serve.