To: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx

Our ref: DE00000395367

12 March 2009

Dear Mr Tyes,

Thank you for your email of 5 March to the Department of Health requesting, under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, mortality data on suicide broken down by gender. Your request has been passed to me for reply.

The information you request is not held by the Department of Health, and we are therefore unable to comply with your request at this time.

However, I have been advised that the Office of National Statistics does collect information on age, gender, country of birth and marital status of the deceased, which would include suicide data. In addition, I am advised that the Information Centre routinely collects mortality data on suicides broken down by age and gender. You may therefore wish to resubmit your request to either of these organisations by email at xxxx@xxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx and xxxxxxxxx@xx.xxx.xx, respectively.

If you have any queries about this response, please contact me. Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications.

I hope this reply is helpful. If you are dissatisfied with the handling of your request, you have the right to ask for an internal review. Internal review requests should be submitted within two months of the date of receipt of the response to your original letter and should be addressed to:

Section Head

Freedom of Information Unit

Department of Health

Room 334b

Skipton House

80 London Road

SE1 6LH

Email: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xx.xxx.xxx.xx

If you are not content with the outcome of your complaint, you may apply directly to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) for a decision. Generally, the ICO cannot make a decision unless you have exhausted the complaints procedure provided by the Department. The ICO can be contacted at:

Information Commissioner’s Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

Yours sincerely,

Aimee Gasston

Customer Service Centre

Department of Health