asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if the interested organisations have now conveyed to him their views in respect of Command Paper No. 9623 relating to mental illness, and mental deficiency in Scotland and also on the application to Scotland of the Report of the Royal Commission on Mental Health and Mental Deficiency in England and Wales; and what action he is proposing to take.

A number of the interested organisations have sent in memoranda, and the remainder expect to do so shortly. I am also consulting the Scottish Health Services Council, which hopes to complete its consideration of the matter early in the New Year.

Does not the right hon. Gentleman realise that this Command Paper was published two years ago? In view of the increasing incidence of mental illness in Scotland, will he give added interest and push to this business in order to get some result?

We are very interested in it, of course, and, as I say, early in the New Year we hope to receive the replies from the interested bodies which have been consulted. I hope that that will happen.