PFD report

Deborah Jane Cooper · Prevention of Future Deaths report

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Issued 26 Feb 2024•Wiltshire and Swindon

Report record

Published report and response evidence

This page connects the concerns raised in this report with statements found in recipients’ published responses. A link shows a clear evidence connection; it does not assign responsibility.

View original report
Concerns
2

Raised in this report

Recipients
3

Named on the report

Responses found
2

Of 3 recipients

Stated actions
2

Described in responses

Recipients and published responses

Source document

Full report text

This is the full text from the original published report.

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Concerns and recipient responses

Select any concern, action or position to view the source wording.

Concerns raised2

  1. Unrestricted marketing and supply of publications providing clear instructions on methods of ending life
  2. Failure to regulate the supply of publications providing information on ending life
Responses linked to these concerns

Each statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.

Respondent positions A position is what a recipient says about a concern when it does not describe a specific action.5

  1. Position

    Ofcom is the independent regulator responsible for implementing the Online Safety Act with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.

    Stated by Department for Business, Innovation, Science and TradeRedirects responsibilityThe respondent said that another organisation was responsible for deciding or taking action.

Source evidence

How this individual concern was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. Response links show a clear evidence connection; they do not assign responsibility.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Unrestricted marketing and supply of publications providing clear instructions on methods of ending life

Wider context from the report

“That duty has arisen in this case when I discovered that books giving clear instructions as to how an individual might want to end his or her life was freely available on the open market on the Amazon.co.uk website. I am concerned that the marketing and supply of such a book giving such clear instructions and advice as regards different methods for an individual to end his or her life at their own hands is of the utmost concern as is the regulation as regards the supply of such publications whose sole purpose is to provide information to those contemplating on ending their lives. I have identified 2 publication that give such advice and there may be more currently being marketed on the Amazon.co.uk website. ”

Is this part of a recurring concern?

No recurring-concern membership is currently published.

Open source report

Source evidence

How this individual concern was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. Response links show a clear evidence connection; they do not assign responsibility.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Failure to regulate the supply of publications providing information on ending life

Wider context from the report

“That duty has arisen in this case when I discovered that books giving clear instructions as to how an individual might want to end his or her life was freely available on the open market on the Amazon.co.uk website. I am concerned that the marketing and supply of such a book giving such clear instructions and advice as regards different methods for an individual to end his or her life at their own hands is of the utmost concern as is the regulation as regards the supply of such publications whose sole purpose is to provide information to those contemplating on ending their lives. I have identified 2 publication that give such advice and there may be more currently being marketed on the Amazon.co.uk website. ”

Is this part of a recurring concern?

No recurring-concern membership is currently published.

Open source report

Source evidence

How this respondent position was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Ofcom is the independent regulator responsible for implementing the Online Safety Act with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.

Verbatim wording from the response

“In addition, the new Online Safety Act requires all in-scope services, including in-scope marketplaces, to rapidly remove regulated content, including suicide content, where they have reasonable grounds to consider that it crosses the criminal threshold. I understand that”

Source location

Response from Department for Business and Trade
Page 1 · response
Published 29 April 2024

Open published response

Source evidence

How this respondent position was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Existing consumer protection legislation has limited scope because it primarily protects economic interests and does not ban sales of the products concerned.

Verbatim wording from the response

“There is limited scope to address the issues raised in your Report through existing consumer protection legislation. For example, while the scope of the protection offered to consumers by the unfair trading legislation (referred to above) is broad, its focus is primarily to protect consumer’s economic interests. This legislation does not impose a blanket ban on the sale of the particular products in issue.”

Source location

Response from Department for Business and Trade
Page 1 · response
Published 29 April 2024

Open published response

Source evidence

How this respondent position was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Legislation more directly relevant to the issues falls outside the Department’s responsibilities.

Verbatim wording from the response

“However, there is legislation, which falls outside of the scope of my Department’s responsibilities, which is more directly relevant including section 2(1) of the Suicide Act 1961 (as amended), which makes it an offence for a person to commit an act capable of encouraging or assisting the suicide or attempted suicide of another person, with the intention that their act will encourage or assist suicide or an attempt at suicide. It is a matter for the Police and Crown Prosecution Service to consider and, where appropriate, pursue prosecutions.”

Source location

Response from Department for Business and Trade
Page 1 · response
Published 29 April 2024

Open published response

Source evidence

How this respondent position was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation

The Police and Crown Prosecution Service are responsible for considering and, where appropriate, pursuing prosecutions under the Suicide Act.

Verbatim wording from the response

“However, there is legislation, which falls outside of the scope of my Department’s responsibilities, which is more directly relevant including section 2(1) of the Suicide Act 1961 (as amended), which makes it an offence for a person to commit an act capable of encouraging or assisting the suicide or attempted suicide of another person, with the intention that their act will encourage or assist suicide or an attempt at suicide. It is a matter for the Police and Crown Prosecution Service to consider and, where appropriate, pursue prosecutions.”

Source location

Response from Department for Business and Trade
Page 1 · response
Published 29 April 2024

Open published response

Source evidence

How this respondent position was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Existing content guidelines and protection of freedom of expression are considered sufficient; the books will not be removed from sale.

Verbatim wording from the response

“We have carefully considered the contents of the Report. As a bookseller, we believe that providing access to written speech and a variety of viewpoints is important, including books that some may find objectionable. We have content guidelines governing which books can be listed for sale and promptly investigate when a concern is raised. We have reviewed each Book against our content guidelines, taking account of your comments, and have decided not to remove either of them from sale.”

Source location

Response from Amazon
Page 1 · response
Published 29 April 2024

Open published response

Other statements in published responses

These actions and other statements could not be clearly connected to one concern in this report.

Recipient-stated actions An action is something a recipient says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to a concern raised.2

  1. 1

    Update consumer-protection law through Part 4, Chapter 1 of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024.

    Stated by Department for Business, Innovation, Science and TradeStated plannedThe respondent said that this action was planned when they made their response on 29 April 2024.
  2. 2

    Display product-page banners on potentially controversial or sensitive titles providing information about accessing free, confidential Samaritans advice.

    Stated by Amazon UK Services Ltd.Stated completedThe respondent said that this action was complete when they made their response on 29 April 2024.

Recipient positions A position is what a recipient says about a concern when they do not describe a specific action.1

  1. 1

    Further preventative actions could not be committed to during the pre-election period because they would be for the new Government.

    Stated by Department for Business, Innovation, Science and TradeUnable to actThe respondent said that a constraint prevented them from taking the relevant action.

Source evidence

How this respondent action was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Update consumer-protection law through Part 4, Chapter 1 of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024.

Verbatim wording from the response

“The Department for Business and Trade is, inter alia, responsible for consumer protection law, including the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 (“CPRs”), which is shortly to be updated by Part 4, Chapter 1 of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (DMCC Act). The DMCC Act received Royal Assent in May 2024.”

Source location

Response from Department for Business and Trade
Page 1 · response
Published 29 April 2024

Open published response

Source evidence

How this respondent action was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Display product-page banners on potentially controversial or sensitive titles providing information about accessing free, confidential Samaritans advice.

Verbatim wording from the response

“At the same time, we are committed to taking measures not to surprise customers with potentially controversial or sensitive content. We display a banner on the product detail page of titles like those”

Source location

Response from Amazon
Page 1 · response
Published 29 April 2024

Open published response

Source evidence

How this respondent position was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Further preventative actions could not be committed to during the pre-election period because they would be for the new Government.

Verbatim wording from the response

“I would like to begin by expressing my deepest condolences to the family and friends of Deborah Jane Cooper following her death and the circumstances that surrounded it. I recognise the gravity of the concerns raised in your Report and I am grateful for the opportunity to respond to this Report to Prevent Future Deaths. As we are in a pre-election period, I apologise that I cannot comment on or commit to further actions to prevent future deaths as these will be for the new Government.”

Source location

Response from Department for Business and Trade
Page 1 · response
Published 29 April 2024

Open published response
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Information checked against the published report and official responses · Data reviewed 7 Sep 2026 · About data quality and limitations

Data last updated 7 September 2026