HC Deb 23 May 1974 vol 874 cc252-4W
Mr. Love ridge

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the figures for suicides over the last 10 years together with an analysis of the causes of death.

Dr. Owen

The figures for England and Wales are as follows:

ICD No. Cause of death 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973*
E950–E959 Suicide and self-inflicted injury:
Males 3,130 2,899 2,783 2,708 2,695 2,523 2,271 2,263 2,198 2,250
Females 2,362 2,192 2,145 1,961 1,889 1,803 1,669 1,682 1,572 1,571
E950 Poisoning by solid or liquid substances:
Males 819 792 727 757 776 816 700 750 714 699
Females 1086 1,104 1,095 1,069 1,150 1,106 1,089 1,097 1,057 1,040
E951 Poisoning by gases in domestic use:
Males 1,189 992 930 824 635 476 353 215 131 100
Females 900 716 669 530 353 314 158 131 66 43
E952 Poisoning by other gases:
Males 107 119 131 127 178 182 153 244 244 254
Females 9 9 5 7 29 11 19 23 20 29
E953 By hanging, strangulation and suffocation:
Males 454 390 424 426 460 467 513 467 556 563
Females 117 121 122 105 124 130 152 174 165 198
E954 By submersion (drowning):
Males 181 172 150 149 167 164 170 133 144 148
Females 149 147 152 130 130 137 119 129 128 138
E955 By firearms and explosives:
Males 150 182 168 175 175 144 131 155 137 163
Females 6 8 1 13 8 5 12 9 12 9
E956 By cutting and piercing instruments:
Males 62 58 70 65 95 65 65 74 61 85
Females 14 10 17 16 17 20 26 16 26 12
E957 By jumping from high place:
Males 46 53 57 69 64 85 48 70 74 84
Females 46 35 30 36 43 38 45 48 44 41
E958 By other and unspecified means:
Males 122 141 126 115 145 124 138 155 137 154
Females 35 42 54 54 35 42 49 55 54 61
E959 Late effect of self-inflicted injury:
Males 1
Females 1
* Provisional