21 October 2015

What: David Cameron is asked about the Michael O’Sullivan prevention of future deaths report in prime minister’s questions by the leader of the SNP in Westminster, Angus Robertson. He is also asked if he will publish the 49 peer reviews. Cameron says it would “not be appropriate” for him to discuss the case. He adds: “Suicide is always a tragic and complex issue. We should take these matters incredibly seriously. I will look very carefully at the specific question he asks about publication. We have changed the work capability assessment to lead to significant improvements, following a number of independent reviews, to make sure that people get the support that they need, and I think that is vitally important.” Cameron had earlier dismissed the significance of the UN investigation, after it was raised by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, saying that “sometimes when you look at these investigations you find that they are not necessarily all they are originally cracked up to be. There are many disabled people in our world who do not have any of the rights or any of the support that they get here in Britain, and I think we should be proud of what we do as we co-operate with this report.”

Why significant: A rare occasion when David Cameron is called to account for deaths linked to his government’s welfare reforms.