Commons Sense

House of Commons · General Debate

Mental Capacity (Duty to Assess)

08 July 2026 · 1 other contributor

Opened by Chris Coghlan Lib Dem Gedling

Mental Health

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Chris Coghlan raised concerns about mental capacity (duty to assess) in the House of Commons. Other MPs contributed to the debate.

Key points

  • Mr Coghlan moved a Bill requiring public officials to assess mental capacity when there are indications of impairment or disturbance.
  • The Bill aims to mandate compliance with existing safeguards in the Mental Capacity Act 2005's code of practice.
  • Cases like Christopher Laskaris, Charlie Gooding, and Harley Watson were highlighted as victims of preventable deaths due to failures in applying the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Chris Coghlan Lib Dem Gedling

Mr Coghlan moved a Bill requiring public officials to assess the mental capacity of individuals when there is any indication of impairment or disturbance in their mind or brain functioning, and where concerns have been raised by someone interested in the person's welfare. He highlighted cases such as Christopher Laskaris, Charlie Gooding, and Harley Watson, all victims of preventable deaths due to failures in applying the Mental Capacity Act 2005. The Bill seeks to mandate compliance with existing safeguards in the code of practice.

Other contributors (1)
  • Chris Coghlan Lab Gedling

    The Bill aims to prevent future deaths by ensuring that public officials assess mental capacity when there is any indication of impairment or disturbance, and where concerns have been raised. It emphasises the importance of safeguarding vulnerable individuals like Christopher Laskaris, Charlie Gooding, and Harley Watson. The speaker commended three mothers for their courage in advocating for this change.

Get updates like this by email
▸ Assessment & feedback
Summary accuracy