Defra takes the issue of farmers and agricultural workers\u2019 wellbeing very seriously. I am aware that rates of suicide are higher across the agricultural sector generally than they are for the general population. I know that they often have a solitary lifestyle, it is hard work and their businesses are subject to unpredictable factors such as the weather. As part of the Future Farming programme we are looking at the impact of policies on wellbeing, and we are also working with partners to foster personal and business resilience.<\/p>
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As part of our on-going work using data on the farming sector, we monitor the published ONS statistics on suicides by employment group. As well as headline mortality numbers, we keep under review the issues that may affect broader experiences of positive and negative wellbeing.<\/p>
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Officials meet regularly with farming and rural charities to hear first-hand about resilience in the farming sector. This provides an indication of how farmers and farm workers are responding to any pressures affecting the sector.<\/p>
<\/p>
Government launched its first ever Loneliness Strategy in October 2018. One of Defra\u2019s commitments is to hold regular stakeholder roundtables to tackle the issues of loneliness and isolation in rural areas. The next roundtable, to be chaired by Lord Gardiner, is being held on 11 June 2019. Defra also provides financial support through an annual grant of £1.7 million to Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE), whose network of 38 rural community councils work on housing and transport issues that we know can affect farming communities.<\/p>
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Defra works closely with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) on this issue. The National Suicide Prevention Strategy highlights the higher risk of suicide experienced by certain occupational groups, and this includes agricultural occupations. Through the Strategy, DHSC has ensured that every local authority has a suicide prevention plan in place to implement tailored approaches to reducing suicides based on the needs and demographics of local communities.<\/p>
<\/p>
In October 2018, the Prime Minister announced the first Minister for Suicide Prevention, and she recently met the Farming Community Network to understand better the issues facing farmers.<\/p>
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It is important that farmers are aware of the people they can turn to if they are going through difficult times. In particular, the farming charities \u2013 the Farming Community Network, the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution and the Addington Fund \u2013 all do a brilliant job in supporting farmers and their families. The National Farmers Union also has a regional network of advisers who can provide support.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1562", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Robert Goodwill"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Scarborough and Whitby"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mr Robert Goodwill"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-05-21", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-05-21T14:49:38.47Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "13"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-05-14", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Farmers: Suicide"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to suicides in the farming sector, what steps he is taking to monitor levels of distress in that sector.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/252", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dr David Drew"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Stroud"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Dr David Drew"} ], "uin" : "254107"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1126611", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for International Development"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1126611/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
No famine has currently been declared in South Sudan, although the risk remains high. The latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report for South Sudan was published in January 2019. This projected that 6.87 million people, 60% of the population, would experience severe levels of food insecurity (IPC phases 3 to 5) between May and July 2019 \u2013 including 50,000 people experiencing \u2018Catastrophe\u2019, or famine-like, levels of food insecurity (IPC Phase 5). The food security crisis in South Sudan is man-made, and driven by conflict. Without peace, the humanitarian crisis will continue to worsen.<\/p>
<\/p>
We are at the forefront of the international response to the crisis, and UK aid is saving lives. Between 2016 and 2020, the UK is providing £122.3 million of emergency food assistance and £56 million of food security and livelihoods assistance to South Sudan. Our food aid is provided to the most vulnerable populations and reached more than 330,000 people in 2018. Where the context is more stable, we build resilience and tackle the underlying causes of food insecurity by working with traders and small producers to kick-start and scale-up markets, and with households to diversify their income sources. The UK is also putting pressure on all conflict parties to commit to the implementation of the revitalised peace agreement.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4107", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dame Harriett Baldwin"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "West Worcestershire"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Harriett Baldwin"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-05-21", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-05-21T14:54:17.91Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "20"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "International Development"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "International Development"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-05-14", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "South Sudan: Food Aid"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the level of famine is in South Sudan; and what food aid the Government is making available to that country.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/252", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dr David Drew"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Stroud"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Dr David Drew"} ], "uin" : "254110"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1126613", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for International Development"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1126613/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Sexual violence is widespread in South Sudan. In most cases perpetrators of sexual violence are men who are known to the victims. Rape is also regularly used as a weapon of war by all parties. The UK strongly condemns all forms of sexual and gender based violence (SGBV). We continue to lobby the Government of South Sudan to address SGBV and end impunity for perpetrators, and support organisations working to tackle the prevalence of SGBV in the country.<\/p>
<\/p>
This includes a four-year, £14.8 million programme with the International Medical Corps, which has reached more than 850,000 women, men, girls and boys with SGBV interventions in South Sudan. Through this we are supporting survivors of SGBV, including in seeking justice, as well as trying to change damaging attitudes within communities. As attitudes and behaviours are shaped at an early age, our Girls Education in South Sudan programme also educates both boys and girls about healthy relationships.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4107", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dame Harriett Baldwin"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "West Worcestershire"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Harriett Baldwin"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-05-21", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-05-21T14:54:57.987Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "20"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "International Development"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "International Development"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-05-14", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "South Sudan: Rape"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps the Government is taking to tackle the prevalence of rape in South Sudan; and what programmes he has established to educate (a) women and (b) men that rape is unacceptable.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/252", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dr David Drew"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Stroud"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Dr David Drew"} ], "uin" : "254111"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1126022", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health and Social Care"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1126022/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Government wants patients to be able to benefit from access to effective new treatments as quickly as possible.<\/p>
Through its technology appraisal and highly specialised technologies guidance, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) makes authoritative, evidence-based recommendations on whether medicines and other treatments represent a clinically and cost effective use of National Health Service resources. NHS organisations are legally required to make funding available for NICE recommended treatments, usually within three months of final guidance.<\/p>
Wherever possible, NICE currently aims to publish recommendations on new drugs as soon as possible after licensing, with draft guidance on cancer drugs published in advance of licensing. The 2019 Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing and Access includes a commitment to faster NICE assessments of new medicines, with timelines for non-cancer drugs to match those for cancer drugs, subject to the evidence base for the product being sufficiently developed.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4455", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Seema Kennedy"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "South Ribble"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Seema Kennedy"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-05-21", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-05-21T10:58:38.627Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "17"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-05-13", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "National Institute for Health and Care Excellence"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will expedite the process by which the NICE publishes its decisions.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/252", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dr David Drew"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Stroud"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Dr David Drew"} ], "uin" : "253483"} ], "itemsPerPage" : 10, "page" : 0, "startIndex" : 1, "totalResults" : 4, "type" : ["http://purl.org/linked-data/api/vocab#ListEndpoint", "http://purl.org/linked-data/api/vocab#Page"]} }