Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Mental Health Legislation

Tuesday 23 February 2021 · 3 questions

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 2 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Ministerial questions addressed concerns over reforming the outdated Mental Health Act 1983.
  • A White Paper was published on January 13, proposing improvements to the Act.
  • Consultation is underway for a period of 14 weeks to gather public and professional views.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 John Howell Con
Mental Health
Context

The Mental Health Act 1983 is over 40 years old and requires reform to better serve patients and professionals. The government has recently published a White Paper on these reforms.

Question

I am concerned about the steps my Department is taking to reform mental health legislation, particularly the outdated Mental Health Act 1983. What measures are being taken?

Answer from Nadine Dorries (Secretary of State for Health and Social Care)

On 13 January, we published a White Paper on reforming the Mental Health Act 1983, setting out proposals to make the Act work better for people. We have launched a 14-week consultation, during which we are inviting views from the public, professionals, service users and carers to ensure that we get this once-in-a-generation opportunity right.

Answered
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Q2 John Howell Con
Mental Health
Context

Sir Simon Wessely conducted an independent review of the Mental Health Act in 2018, and his comprehensive work has been widely recognised.

Question

I am delighted that my hon. Friend is taking steps to bring mental health laws into the 21st century, not least because they are 40 years old. Can I pay tribute to Sir Simon Wessely for his independent review? Can my hon. Friend confirm that the Government will be accepting many of his recommendations?

Answer from Nadine Dorries (Secretary of State for Health and Social Care)

I wholeheartedly agree with my hon. Friend, and I would also like to pay tribute to Sir Simon and his co-chairs for their comprehensive work. The Secretary of State said in the House last year that 'the Wessely review is one of the finest pieces of work on the treatment of mental ill health that has been done anywhere in the world.' We are taking forward the vast majority of Sir Simon's 154 recommendations, either directly or by advancing the principles put forward by the review. The White Paper document contains the Government's response to each of the recommendations.

Answered
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Q3 Rosena Allin-Khan Lab Tooting
Mental Health
Context

There is a shortage of mental health staff, and the Secretary of State has promised to address this issue. However, there are still no details on when we will get the workforce settlement or reassurance on filling training places.

Question

The overhaul of the Mental Health Act has been long awaited. It is people who have to be at the heart of the legislation, and that includes staff. The promises that the Secretary of State has made rely on a workforce: our fantastic frontline mental health staff, of which there are simply too few at present. I asked him last month to outline when we would get the workforce settlement and what reassurance he could give on filling the training places. We are still waiting for an answer. Would the Minister like to answer now?

Answer from Nadine Dorries (Secretary of State for Health and Social Care)

Work is under way; Health Education England is looking at proposals, particularly for the training of mental health workers. People are coming out of universities with their degree and going through a year's training so that we can get them into schools faster to work with children and young people. The hon. Lady is right; the mental health workforce is at the heart of these reforms. I assure her that we have seen an increase in the number of people applying to be mental health nurses—and nurses across the healthcare estate—and that will have a knock-on effect on the number of people we have working on the wards with people who have severe mental illness.

Partly answered

Not addressed: When and specifics about filling training places

How: Work Is Under Way, Looking At Proposals

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