Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Lord Bethell on 8 September (HL Deb, cols 662–5), what assessment they have made of the findings of the report by Friends, Families and Travellers, published on 21 August, that the suicide rate of people from the Gypsy and Traveller community is six to seven times higher than the rest of the population; why Gypsies and Travellers are not included on the list of high risk groups in their National Suicide Prevention Plan; and what plans they have to discuss measures to tackle the prevalence of suicide among Gypsy and Traveller communities with Baroness Whitaker and representatives of Friends, Families and Travellers.

We have not made a formal assessment. We continue to explore ways of improving the quality and timeliness of suicide data to allow both national and local partners to continue to monitor rates, identify trends and develop effective prevention plans.

We know that there are certain groups that may be exposed to more risk factors for suicide, and we expect local agencies to work together to ensure that their plans are tailored to meet the needs of these groups. These groups include people from minority ethnic groups, such as Romany Gypsies or Irish Travellers.

We will consider any request from the noble Baroness for such a discussion.