Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Government is taking to reduce the rate of male suicide.

The Prime Minister announced a Suicide Prevention Minister on 10 October who will work across national and local government to reduce suicides and drive implementation of the Cross-Government National Suicide Prevention Strategy. The National Strategy highlights men, and especially middle-aged and young men, as a group at high risk of suicide. We have set out in suicide prevention planning guidance to local authorities that their suicide prevention plans should prioritise suicide reduction in men. Every local authority has a suicide prevention plan in place or in development.

We are also investing £25 million in suicide prevention over the next three years, and in May we announced the first local sustainability and transformation partnership (STP) areas that are receiving some of this funding. The Department has worked with NHS England and Public Health England to ensure that STP areas prioritise approaches to reaching men in local communities to support the implementation of local suicide prevention plans.

The Department engages with a wide range of organisations and stakeholders that focus on good mental health and wellbeing and suicide risk in men to support and promote their activities. These include projects such as Mens’ Sheds, State of Mind Sport, CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably) and the Sport and Recreation Alliance Mental Health Charter.

The suicide rate in England has reduced for the third consecutive year, and in men for the fourth consecutive year, and is now at its second lowest recorded level.