Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made with the Suicide Prevention Strategy for England; and what plans they have to address the higher suicide rate among men, particularly those aged 20 to 34.

We are committed to cutting the lives lost to suicide including by ensuring that the 8,500 additional mental health staff we will recruit will be specially trained to support people at risk.

Notable progress has been made since the Suicide Prevention Strategy for England 2023-2028 was published in September 2023. This includes launching the near to Real Time Suspected Suicide Surveillance system, which provides an early warning system for indications of change in suicides through monthly analysis of suspected suicides overall; launching a £10 million Suicide Prevention Grant Fund, which runs to March 2025; and the introduction of the Online Safety Act, which received Royal Assent in October 2023.

The Strategy sets out a number of actions focusing on several priority groups including children and young people up to age of 25. We continue to keep the Strategy under review and should further risks emerge in other groups, we will work with the sector to address them. In addition, recipients of the grant fund include organisations that specifically support men of all ages.