Member

Noble Lords will understand that this is a matter for discussion. We need to consult stakeholders: the National Police Chiefs’ Council needs to be engaged, as does the Police Federation. Last week my honourable friend the Minister, Sarah Jones MP, convened a roundtable of stakeholders to examine the best routes forward to achieve the objectives that the amendments have highlighted today. That roundtable will take place shortly and it will discuss how we improve data collection and whether we need legislation to force that data collection. I hope that that is a considered approach to this vital issue that has been raised in Committee today. Alongside that, there are existing mechanisms, including the police covenant clinical governance group and the National Police Chiefs’ Council suicide prevention steering group, which provide robust oversight, expert guidance and continuous improvement in suicide prevention and mental health support in the police service.