Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help tackle male suicide.

The Suicide Prevention Strategy for England, published on 11 September 2023, is a cross-Government strategy with over 100 actions that we believe will reduce the suicide rate within five years, with initial reductions observed within two and a half years. We have identified middle-aged men as a priority group within the strategy, and many of the actions will support suicide prevention in men by addressing the common risk factors for this group, such as a history of drug or alcohol misuse, family or relationships problems, and social isolation and loneliness. We have worked across departments to develop this strategy and will continue to do so, in order to deliver the actions within it.

In addition, on 23 August 2023 we launched a £10 million Suicide Prevention Grant Fund to support voluntary community and social enterprise organisations in England in meeting the demand for their services to support people experiencing suicidal thoughts, or approaching a mental health crisis. Applications were encouraged from charities to support middle-aged men and other groups of concern. The fund will run to March 2025, and we expect to start making this funding available to successful applicants very soon.