§ Earl Russellasked Her Majesty's Government:
What percentage of 15 to 24 year-olds who have committed suicide were at the time of suicide without visible, legal means of support; and [HL486]
What is the percentage of 16 to 17 year-olds with no apparent source of income who:
- (a) have been convicted of an indictable offence;
- (b) committed suicide;
- (c) became pregnant; and
- (d) became mothers of low birth weight babies. [HL490]
§ Lord McIntosh of HaringeyThe information requested falls within the responsibility of the Director of the Office for National Statistics, who has been asked to reply.
Letter to Earl Russell from the Director of the Office for National Statistics, Dr T Holt, dated 20 January 2000.
As Director of the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your parliamentary Questions on percentages of 15 to 24 year-olds who have committed suicide; who were at the time of suicide without visible, legal means of support and percentages of 16 to 17 year-olds with no apparent source of income who:
- (a) have been convicted of an indictable offence;
- (b) committed suicide;
- (c) became pregnant; and
- (d) became mothers of low birth weight babies.
The information requested is not available centrally.
The ONS collects information on suicides and births through the civil registration system. The only indication of economic status recorded there is occupation. However this is not recorded in a way that allows individuals with no income to be identified. Conceptions are derived using births and abortions notifications. No information on economic status is collected on the abortion notification form.