Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress the Government has made on responding to the recommendations of the Independent Review of the Mental Health Act; and what plans he has to ensure that people with direct experience of the Mental Health Act 1983 continue to be involved in designing future reforms.

We have already accepted a number of the Independent Review of the Mental Health Act 1983’s recommendations and we will publish a White Paper by the end of this year, setting out our response in full. This will pave the way for reform to the Act and tackle issues addressed by the Review.

There will be a public consultation on the reforms. We also plan to run a number of public engagement events, in particular, with those who have had direct experience of the Act.

We have also drawn on the expertise of service users, carers and professionals as we have considered the review’s recommendations.