6. To ask the Deputy First Minister what the Scottish Government’s response is to the Samaritans’ report, “Dying from inequality”, which suggests that there is an increased risk of suicide in the most deprived communities. (S5F-00979)

Any death by suicide is a tragedy. Sadly, the link between deprivation and the risk of suicide is well known. We will take the report’s recommendations into account, including by placing an emphasis on inequalities as we develop a new suicide prevention strategy for publication early next year.

Although suicide rates are higher than average in most deprived areas, it is important to recognise that that inequality gap has narrowed over the past decade. Scotland’s suicide rate has reduced by 18 per cent over the past 10 years, and the number of suicides in 2015 was the lowest in a single year since 1974.

We heard from the Minister for Mental Health in the chamber just last week, shortly before publication of the Samaritans’ report, that there has been no formal evaluation of the last suicide prevention strategy. There appears to be no plan to embark on one before the next strategy is produced. The World Health Organization tells us that evaluation is a central pillar of effective suicide prevention strategies. Now that we have the Samaritans’ report, will the Deputy First Minister commit the Government to an evaluation of the actions in the previous strategy before it embarks on the next one?

Monica Lennon raises a significant issue. In policy terms, we have to be open to questioning whether particular interventions have been successful, given that we all recognise the importance, the imperative, and the necessity of ensuring that the measures that we put in place are effective in supporting individuals in those circumstances.

If Monica Lennon will forgive me, I will not give her a definitive answer today, but I will ask the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport to look closely at the serious point that she has raised. We will reply to her on the specific point about an evaluation of the strategy.

I give Parliament the assurance that the Government is determined to take all the measures that we can possibly take to support vulnerable individuals in those circumstances.