HC Deb 09 June 2003 vol 406 cc599-600W
Mr. Paul Marsden

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many suicides of(a) 16-year olds, (b) 17-year olds and (c) 18-year olds there were in each year since 1997. [117577]

John Healey

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.

Letter from Colin Mowl to Mr. Paul Marsden, dated 9 June 2003:

The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent question concerning how many suicides have been recorded for (a) 16-year olds, (b) 17-year olds and (c) 18-year olds in each year since 1997. I am replying in his absence. (117577)

The most recent available mortality data are for the calendar year 2001. Figures for each year from 1997 to 2001 are given in the following table:

Number of deaths from suicide and injury undetermined whether

accidentally or purposely inflicted 1, persons aged 16,17 and 18,

England and Wales, 1997 to 20012

Number of deaths by individual year of age
16-year olds 17-year olds 18-year olds
1997 27 28 42
1998 19 41 46
1999 20 37 57
2000 10 43 48
2001 17 29 45

1 The cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (1 CD-9) codes E950-E959 and E980-E989 excluding E988.8 for the years 1997 to 2000, and, for the year 2001, the International Classifications of Diseases, Tenth Revision (1 CD-10) codes X60-X84 and Y 10-Y34 excluding Y33.9 where the Coroner's verdict was pending.

2 Figures are for deaths occurring in each calendar year.