§ Lord Vivianasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many servicemen and women are recorded by the Ministry of Defence as having taken their own lives in the course of each of the years 1994 to 2002 inclusive, indicating in respect of each how many of these were deaths by shooting. [HL4631]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Bach)Between 1 January 1994 and 31 May 2002 there have been 128 suicides among serving members of the Regular Armed Forces.
121WAThe numbers of suicides in the Armed Forces each year since 1994 are:
Year Navy Army RAF Total 1994 6 19 5 30 1995 1 16 3 20 1996 5 17 2 24 1997 2 15 4 21 1998 0 9 2 11 1999 4 5 0 9 2000 4 3 3 10 2001 0 3 0 3 2002 0 0 0 0 Total 22 87 19 128 There were two female confirmed suicides in the period.
The numbers of suicides that were caused by gunshot wound each year are:
Year Navy Army RAF Total 1994 1 9 2 12 1995 0 8 0 8 1996 0 9 0 9 1997 0 2 1 3 1998 0 0 0 0 1999 0 0 0 0 2000 0 1 0 1 2001 0 0 0 0 2002 0 0 0 0 Total 1 29 3 33 There were no female suicides by gunshot wound.
General Notes:
1. There were no reported suicides for 2002 as at 10 May 2002.
2. Figures for suicides are subject to revision as further coroner's verdicts are reported to DASA.