Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government when they will publish an action and implementation plan to ensure the recommendations of the report by the Independent Advisory Panel on Deaths in Custody Investigating deaths under the Mental Health Act: The need for independence and parity, published in September 2025, are quickly progressed.

The Government is very grateful to the Independent Advisory Panel on Deaths in Custody for its report, which highlights the critical issue that there are still too many deaths in mental health services and provides valuable insights and recommendations for change.

The Government is currently considering the report and its recommendation to establish an independent investigative mechanism. We will consider the most suitable way to share the Government’s response to this report in due course and will continue to work with the panel to explore how we can deliver further improvements to the way deaths in mental health detention are investigated.