Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Draft Mental Health Bill

Tuesday 5 March 2024 · 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 0 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Olivia Blake inquired about the Government's plans to respond to the Joint Committee's report on the draft Mental Health Bill.
  • Olivia Blake asked about the timing of the formal Bill introduction and the resourcing discussions with the Chancellor.
  • Jackie Doyle-Price questioned the Minister about the urgency of reforming the forced administration of drugs in mental health cases.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Olivia Blake Lab Sheffield Hallam
Mental Health
Context

The Joint Committee on the Draft Mental Health Bill published a report on January 19, 2023, which the government has yet to respond to. This report discusses reforms aimed at improving mental health services.

Question

When will she plan to respond to the Joint Committee's report on the draft Mental Health Bill and address their recommendations?

Answer from Maria Caulfield

We are looking at the recommendations of the pre-legislative scrutiny Committee, which scrutinised our draft Mental Health Bill, and we will respond shortly.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific timeline or commitment to responding to the report was not provided.

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Q2 Olivia Blake Lab Sheffield Hallam
Mental Health
Context

Over a year has passed since the publication of the Joint Committee report on the draft Mental Health Bill, with repeated promises of reform. The current situation is described as an outrage for campaigners and those affected by mental health issues.

Question

Given that over 50,000 people are held under the Mental Health Act 1983 and despite repeated promises of reform, will the Minister confirm when the Government plans to bring a formal Bill to Parliament and what conversations have been had with the Chancellor about resourcing reforms?

Answer from Maria Caulfield

We are looking at the recommendations of the pre-legislative scrutiny Committee, which scrutinised our draft Mental Health Bill. The Government has invested £143 million in crisis support services leading to a reduction in use of the Act by 15%. No specific commitment on bringing formal legislation or discussions with the Chancellor were provided.

Partly answered

Not addressed: No timeline for formal Bill and no details on conversations with the Chancellor were given.

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Q3 Jackie Doyle-Price Con
Mental Health
Context

A number of years have passed since the last promise to reform mental health legislation. The current approach is criticised for managing people with severe mental ill health in a way that does not respect their liberties.

Question

Given the criticism that people's mental health conditions are managed through forced administration of drugs, and considering lived experiences shared by those affected, will the Minister reiterate the urgency of introducing measures to reform this?

Answer from Maria Caulfield

The Government published a draft Bill last January which underwent pre-legislative scrutiny. The Minister agrees that reforms are needed and mentions significant reform efforts including earlier intervention, crisis cafés, and telephone services leading to 15% fewer detentions under the Mental Health Act.

Partly answered

Not addressed: No direct confirmation on urgency of introducing specific measures was provided.

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