Clause 3
Mental Health Bill [Lords]
6:15 pm
Sandra Gidley (Shadow Minister, Health; Romsey, Liberal Democrat)
I thank the hon. Gentleman for that clarification, which I was not aware of. He has had a longer association with the issue. It would be useful for the Government to consider that aspect, so as to prevent the necessity for, shall we say, new legislation after the event.
I shall not go into the social control arguments, which have been raised a number of times. However, there are also concerns in the black and ethnic minority community about some of the implications of the legislation. We all know that black and ethnic minority men are committed at a higher rate for certain disorders than white males of a similar cohort. However, we must be absolutely sure that there are no cultural factors contributing to that—hence one of the inclusions in the Lords amendments.