Tag: Luciana Berger

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2015-12-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make it his policy to collect information centrally on how many local authorities have suicide prevention strategies.

Alistair Burt

Data is currently not collected centrally on how many local authorities have in place local suicide prevention strategies and multi-agency prevention groups.

I will be meeting soon with Departmental officials and our delivery partner organisations on suicide prevention to explore ways in which we can work together to progress the National Suicide Prevention Strategy, including improving local delivery of the Strategy, and the collection of information.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2015-12-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many mental health trusts (a) Simon Stevens and (b) Sir Bruce Keogh have visited in each year since their appointments as Chief Executive and Medical Director respectively of NHS England.

Alistair Burt

Since taking up post on 1 April 2014, Simon Stevens has either visited or met mental health providers on at least 18 occasions.

Sir Bruce Keogh has visited one mental health trust since his appointment.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-01-05.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 17 December 2015 to Question 20083, what steps he plans to take to tackle the rise in the number of people who took their own life on the rail network since 2010.

Alistair Burt

Reducing suicides on the rail network is highlighted as a key area within the cross-Government National Suicide Prevention Strategy (2012) where tailored and collaborative action can be taken. I will be having discussions soon with officials and our delivery partners about ways in which we can re-invigorate the delivery of the National Suicide Prevention Strategy.

Public Health England published guidance to local authorities, Guidance for developing a local suicide prevention action plan (2014) and Preventing suicides in public places (2015), which include advice on working with local transport organisations to take preventative action to reduce suicides on the transport network.

We continue to work with the British Transport Police, London Underground Limited, Network Rail, Samaritans and other partners to reduce suicides on the rail and underground networks.

We support the joint work of Network Rail and Samaritans as part of the Tackling Suicides on the Railways programme, which has continued to grow since 2010. Since 2010, more than 8,000 rail staff, British Transport Police officers and Network Rail front line staff have received training from Samaritans.

This partnership approach has led to the establishment of the National Suicide Prevention Group to tackle the issue of railway suicide, comprising Samaritans, Network Rail, British Transport Police, Train Operating Company representatives and the wider railway industry, such as the Association of Train Operating Companies, Rail Safety & Standards Board and rail unions.

The British Transport Police is a signatory of the Crisis Care Concordat which aims to support people experiencing a mental health crisis. The Department of Health also provided funding support in 2014/15 to enable the British Transport Police to expand its suicide prevention programme to include the North of England as well as the South of England. The programme aims to reduce suicides on the transport network by identifying people who might be considering suicide on the transport network and linking them with support services.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-01-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the Prime Minister’s announcement of 11 January 2016, whether the £290 million of investment announced for perinatal mental health care is in addition to the (a) £1.25 billion investment for perinatal and children and young people’s mental health announced by the then Deputy Prime Minister in March 2015 and (b) £660 million investment for mental health announced in the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015.

Alistair Burt

The £290 million announced by the Prime Minister for perinatal mental health is in addition to the £1.25 billion announced by the Deputy Prime Minister. It is funded from within the Department’s overall Spending Review Settlement.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-01-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 18 January 2016 to Question 22307, on parents: mental illness, if she will make it her policy to collect such data.

Mr Sam Gyimah

The Department for Education does not intend to collect this data.

Information on parental status and mental health illness is collected through the Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey managed by the Health and Social Care Information Centre.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-01-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 15 December 2015 to Question 19556, on mental illness: discrimination, if he will provide (a) an update on the discussions with Time to Change, and its other funding partners, about the next phase of the programme and (b) the dates these discussions took place.

Alistair Burt

Departmental officials have regular discussions with colleagues at the Time to Change programme and its funders to monitor progress with the programme and to manage the grant funding that is provided to Time to Change from the Department and other funders. We are currently discussing the next phase of the programme.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-01-28.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 25 January 2016 to Question 23474, when the detailed criteria for the Life Chances Fund will be published.

Mr Rob Wilson

The Life Chances Fund is being designed and delivered by the Cabinet Office. More detailed guidance about how the fund will work will be published before the House rises for summer recess in 2016.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-02-05.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many women have taken their own lives in the first year after the birth of their child in each of the last five years.

Alistair Burt

This information is not collected centrally.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-02-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 10 February 2016 to Question 26077, on suicide: females, if he will make it his policy to collect that information centrally.

Alistair Burt

There are currently no plans to make the collection of this information a policy.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-02-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the implications for the policies of the Cabinet Office of the recommendations of the Mental Health Taskforce report, published in February 2016.

Alistair Burt

We welcome the recommendations for government in the report and will be considering how best to integrate them into our work programme. There will be an impact on policies across Government in this period and, more importantly, a positive impact on people using mental health services.

The Mental Health Five Year Forward View Taskforce Report proposes, and we accept, investing over £1 billion of additional funding by 2020/21 to reach one million more people. There are a number of recommendations in the report which will have an impact on crisis care services, accident and emergency departments, mothers suffering from mental health problems, suicide prevention, children and young people’s mental health services, access to psychological therapies and the physical health of people with mental health problems. The £1 billion announced with the Taskforce report is the total annual cost for all areas in 2020/21.

Announcements on the development of policies, including those with reference to implementing the Mental Health Taskforce will be made in due course.