Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions his Department has had with Eastbourne Borough Council on steps to deter or prevent people from taking their own life on Beachy Head.

We have not had any discussions with Eastbourne Borough Council about Beachy Head as a place used by people to take their own life. Local authorities are responsible for local suicide prevention by working with local agencies to implement local suicide prevention plans.

Public Health England (PHE) published guidance in 2015, ‘Preventing suicides in public places: A practice resource’, to support local areas taking action in places known to be used for suicide:

https://www.gov.uk/government/latest?departments%5B%5D=public-health-england

PHE also published refreshed guidance on 25 October, ‘Local suicide prevention planning: a practice resource’, to support local areas to implement multi-agency suicide prevention plans which will bring together all local agencies to work collaboratively to prevent suicide:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/562280/PHE_local_suicide_prevention_planning_a_practice_resource.pdf