Question
T4. For nearly a decade, Dunfermline Athletic football club has made Samaritans its main charity partner. Through matchday messages, pitch-side advertising and an annual awareness day at East End Park, the Pars tell fans that it is always good to talk, reaching people who might never walk into a GP surgery. Will the Minister join me in congratulating the Pars on the work they do, and will she ensure that the Government’s own work on mental health learns from such community partnerships?50% vibes
Answer
I commend Dunfermline Athletic for a powerful example of what can be achieved in that kind of partnership with Samaritans. It is important that we are all able to seek help when we are experiencing mental health challenges. Suicide is one of the biggest killers of men in our country, which is why the work that the Minister for men and boys, my hon. Friend the Member for Rother Valley (Jake Richards), is leading is incredibly important in ensuring that everyone can access timely support, so that we do not see a single person lost to suicide wherever we can prevent it.40% vibes
Verdict: AMBER (62/100)
The reply clearly commends Dunfermline Athletic for its partnership with Samaritans, which answers the first part of the question directly. On the second part, it describes the government's suicide-prevention work in general terms but does not say whether that work will learn from community partnerships like Dunfermline's, so that commitment is left unanswered. The questioner would likely need to follow up to get a specific answer on learning from such partnerships.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whether the Minister will join in congratulating Dunfermline Athletic Football Club on its work with Samaritans. | Addressed | Direct | The reply directly commends Dunfermline Athletic for its partnership with Samaritans, which is the congratulation the item asks the Minister to join in. |
| Whether the Government will ensure that its own work on mental health learns from community partnerships such as Dunfermline Athletic's partnership with Samaritans. | Partially Addressed | Hedged | The reply describes the government's suicide-prevention and timely-support work led by the Minister for men and boys, which is the relevant area, but it never says whether that work will learn from community partnerships like Dunfermline's, so the core 'learn from' commitment is left unanswered. |