Ahead of the debate, the family’s Labour MP James Naish, who represents Rushcliffe, said: “I hope this marks the moment within this Parliament where this issue gets a proper airing and a proper discussion.
“There have been improvements by universities but that doesn’t mean it is consistent across the board.”
A statement from the University of Bristol said: “We care deeply about all our students and staff which is why the mental health and wellbeing of our community is at the heart of decision making across the university.
“This includes the provision of appropriate, accessible services and interventions.”
The Department for Education said “every suicide [was] a tragedy” and added that the government was calling for “urgent, visible action from universities to learn from these preventable deaths”.
“Last year, we published the first ever national review of student suicides in higher education which provided valuable insights and recommendations to improve prevention and support,” a spokesperson said.
Speaking in a Westminster Hall debate on Tuesday, Josh MacAlister, minister for children, families and wellbeing, said any response needed to be proportionate.
He added: “Almost all students are adults, introducing a special statutory duty for them could be disproportionate when the evidence shows that students in higher education have a lower suicide rate than others in the same age in the general population.
“This is not in any way to minimise the problem at universities, there is one and I recognise that.
“But it is to highlight the need for a proportionate response that strikes the right balance.”