§ Dr. FoxTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made in meeting the "Saving Lives: Our Healthier Nation" target on suicide reduction. [127366]
§ Ms Rosie WintertonThe "Saving Lives: Our Healthier Nation" target is to reduce the death rate from suicide and undetermined injury by at least a fifth by the year 20010, from a baseline of 9.2 deaths per 100,000 population in 1995–97 to 7.4 deaths per 1,000,000 population in 2009–11.
268WThe suicide rate for the single year 2001, the most recent available, was the lowest recorded. The European Age Standardised Rate in 2001 was 8.9 per 100,000 population, a decrease of 5 per cent. on 2000 which was 9.3. There was also a fall in mental health in-patient suicide in 2001.
As the only full-year figures we have since the publication of the "Saving Lives: Our Healthier Nation" strategy are for 2000 and 2001, it is still too early to assess progress in meeting this target. Current trends do not as yet provide a robust indication of the effect of the strategy. If the trend of the last three years continues, then the target will be met, however this is much too short a period from which to extrapolate a robust trend.