HC Deb 26 November 1986 vol 106 cc294-5W
Mr. Nicholas Winterton

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what information he has concerning the number of suicides by children aged under 16 years in each region in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

Mrs. Currie

The information is given in the table:

Number of deaths from suicide1 in children aged under 16 years by area of usual residence 1976–85, England and Wales.
Area of usual residence Year
1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985
Wales 3 1 3 1 1
Standard Region
North 1 3 2 1
Yorkshire and Humberside 1 1 1 1 1 4 2 2
North West 2 3 1 1 2 4 2 2
East Midlands 2 1 1 1 2 1 1 2
West Midlands 2 5 2 2 3 2 1 2
East Anglia 1 1 1
South East 4 4 4 4 1 3 7 7 2 2
South West 2 1 2 1 1 1
1International Classification of Diseases 8th and 9th revisions E950–E959 Suicide and Self-inflicted injury

Mr. Nicholas Winterton

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he has any information concerning the number and percentage of all suicide cases involving children aged under 16 years in the last year for which figures are available in which the children were of illegitimate birth.

Mrs. Currie

The question cannot be answered because legitimacy at birth is not collected at the registration of deaths.