Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect to publish a White Paper on reform of the Mental Health Act 1983, following the announcement in June 2019 that such a White Paper would be published before the end of 2019.

We will publish our White Paper in the next few months, which will set out the Government’s response to Sir Simon Wessely’s Independent Review of the Mental Health Act.

Our intention is that this White Paper will pave the way for reform to the Mental Health Act 1983, and tackle issues addressed by the Review. We will ensure that people subject to the Act receive better care and have a much greater say in that care.

We will consult publicly on our proposals and we will bring forward a Bill to amend the Act when parliamentary time allows.