§ Mrs. Curtis-Thomas:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to reduce the number of non-combatant deaths of armed forces personnel. [129074]
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§ Mr. Ingram:We take non-combatant deaths, which can occur in a range of circumstances, very seriously. Road Traffic Accidents account for the majority of non-combat deaths, and the Ministry of Defence operates a number of road safety campaigns to increase awareness of risks on the road.
Another significant contributor to non-combat deaths is disease, to which members of the Armed Forces are as susceptible as the general public. But as part of the Defence Health Programme we are creating a health promotion strategy to co-ordinate work already in hand within each of the three Services. Through an emphasis on fitness and proper nutrition, together with increased availability of health advice and access to treatment, we aim to reduce the instance of disease-related deaths. Fewer than one in 20 non-combat deaths throughout the armed forces last year were ruled by the coroner as suicides or open verdicts. Through a tri-Service Suicide and Self-harm Prevention Working Group we are developing a more cohesive Armed Forces suicide and deliberate self-harm prevention policy. Other measures include the bench-marking of prevention measures with the NHS, HM Prison Service and other nations, and the development of a Stress Policy. Moreover, personnel are trained to be on the alert for signs of depression, altered behaviour and other possible indicators of self-harm. Further studies are planned into the identification of factors which may indicate greater risk of self-harm and suicide.