Oral Answers to Questions

Scott Benton Excerpts

Tuesday 17th October 2023 Commons Chamber

[Paul Howell (Sedgefield) (Con)]

3. What steps he is taking to help prevent suicide.

[Scott Benton (Blackpool South) (Ind)]

18. What steps he is taking to help prevent suicide.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Maria Caulfield)]

Last month, we published a cross-Government five-year suicide prevention strategy. It sets out our pledge to reduce England’s suicide rates within two and a half years, with over 100 measures aimed at saving lives and providing early intervention for those at highest risk of suicide, including new mums and middle-aged men.

[Maria Caulfield]

I thank my hon. Friend for his hard work in this area and for his mental health campaigning overall, and also his wife and all who selflessly give their time to volunteer with the invaluable mental health charities. We fully recognise that, and that is why when we launched the suicide prevention strategy we also launched our £10 million suicide prevention grant fund.

On my hon. Friend’s point about wider funding beyond 2024-25, that is subject to a future spending review, but our commitment and record in delivering record investment of £15.9 billion in mental health services just in this financial year, which is 28% more funding than in 2018, should give him confidence that this Conservative Government deliver on mental health services.

[Scott Benton]

Is the Minister able to provide an update on the suicide prevention grant, and particularly on when the money is expected to reach the successful organisations?

[Maria Caulfield]

We have had a huge response to the opening of the grant, with over 1,800 applications from voluntary groups and organisations. We are assessing those bids and hope to make an announcement before the end of the year.