§ Mr. Alex CarlileTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have committed suicide or attempted suicide in each of the last five years; how many involved(a) firearms and (b) stolen firearms; and if he will make a statement. [22300]
§ Mr. BowisData are not available centrally on whether firearms used in the commission of suicide are stolen.
The following list shows the number of suicides—ICD1 E950–E959, E980–E989 excluding E988.8—in England and Wales for each of the last five years for which data are available:
- 1990: 5,544
- 1991: 5,486
- 1992: 5,486
- 1993: 5,154
- 1994: 4,787.
- 1 International Classification of Diseases, 9th revision.
The following list shows the number of deaths in England and Wales from suicide by means of firearms— ICD1 E955.0–4 and E985.0–4—for each of the last five years for which data are available:
1 International Classification on Diseases, 9th revision.
- 1990: 189
- 1991: 175
- 1992: 190
- 1993: 165
- 1994: 174.
The only centrally available information on attempted suicides is for those cases subsequently admitted to hospital.
The following list shows estimates—based on the recorded number of emergency admissions taken from hospital episodes statistics—of cases of suicide or self-inflicted injury caused by firearms or explosives in the last five financial years.
- 1990–91: 23
- 1991–92: 32
- 1992–93: 23
- 1993–94: 33
- 1994–95: 30 (provisional figures).
We are pursuing a wide range of initiatives towards the "Health of the Nation" target of reducing the rate of suicide by 15 per cent. between 1990 and 2000. These include improving mental health services, increasing public awareness of mental health issues, targeting demographic and occupational groups at particular risk of suicide and reducing access to means.