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National Suicide Prevention Standard

14 April 2026

Lead MP

Liz Twist
Blaydon and Consett
Lab

Responding Minister

Zubir Ahmed

Tags

NHSTaxationEmploymentAgriculture & Rural AffairsMental Health
Word Count: 3897
Other Contributors: 5

At a Glance

Liz Twist raised concerns about national suicide prevention standard in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.

Key Requests to Government:

Will the Government help promote the standard with business, public sector bodies and throughout government? Will they commit to organising a roundtable on its rollout across UK workplaces? How will small and medium-sized enterprises access trauma-informed training?

How the Debate Unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:

Lead Contributor

Blaydon and Consett
Opened the debate
One in four adults has contemplated suicide, and one in 13 has attempted it. For every suicide death, at least 135 people are directly or indirectly affected. Suicide is the leading cause of death for men under 50, accounting for 27.1% of male deaths aged 20 to 34. Male-dominated industries such as construction face severe challenges with work and mental health. Agriculture and farming workers experience social isolation and financial pressures. Healthcare workers and emergency responders deal with trauma and have access to lethal means.

Government Response

Zubir Ahmed
Government Response
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Stringer. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Blaydon and Consett for securing this debate on a topic that is especially close to her heart and for her work more generally to promote action on suicide prevention. Every suicide is nothing short of a tragedy with lasting and devastating impacts on families, friends and communities. The Government are committed to reducing the numbers of lives lost to suicide through their suicide prevention strategy for England. The BSI launched a new voluntary standard entitled "Suicide and the Workplace", which has been well received, with more than 11,000 downloads since its publication in November. Businesses across the country are putting the standard into practice. Employers should support practices that help to prevent suicides such as employment assistance programmes, line manager training and support networks in place for employees. The Government recognise the importance of public and private sector organisations reaching vulnerable people most at risk. They are committed to finding more opportunities to ensure every person requiring support can access it readily, highlighting community-based mental health centres and piloting suicide prevention initiatives like the middle-aged men's programme with up to £3.6 million over three years. The minister encourages all workplaces and employers to familiarise themselves with the Government's suicide prevention strategy and consider drawing on BSI standards as an exemplar tool.
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About Westminster Hall Debates

Westminster Hall debates are a chance for MPs to raise important issues affecting their constituents and get a response from a government minister. Unlike Prime Minister's Questions, these debates are more in-depth and collaborative. The MP who secured the debate speaks first, other MPs can contribute, and a minister responds with the government's position.