Part of Mental Health Bill [HL] - Committee (3rd Day) – in the House of Lords at 5:45 pm on 22 January 2025.
Earl Howe
Shadow Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
5:45,
22 January 2025
My Lords, I am very grateful to all noble Lords who have contributed to this debate in such compelling ways, and I think we can see that when it comes to the experiences of children and young people in mental health units, we are dealing with a story that is a lot more substantial than mere anecdote. From briefing I have received, I am afraid I have been left in no doubt that the therapeutic environment in a number of mental health hospitals around the country—not all, of course—is, to put it mildly, a lot less than optimal.
Clearly, it is unacceptable for any patient, of whatever age, to be detained compulsorily without being offered treatment. It is unacceptable that drugs or restraint should be used as punishments. Challenging behaviour can be difficult to deal with, but staff should be trained to deal with it in a way that demonstrates that they understand the root causes of the behaviour. Those causes can be extremely complex.
To pick up another strand of the debate, I am in no doubt that medication has a place in mental health therapy. It can often be the treatment of choice. It is one tool in the toolbox. However, I very much agree with what the noble Lord, Lord Crisp, and the noble Baroness, Lady Tyler, had to say about social prescribing. It can not only be clinically effective but save costs if it is delivered, for example, by local charities that work in the fields of music, drama or art. Incidentally, it can help budding musicians, actors and artists in their downtime to train as music, art or drama therapists, which is an added bonus.
I am very grateful to the Minister for her response, which is helpful on a number of fronts. I am glad that she and her officials have met with representatives of Blooming Change to listen to their important perspective. I hope that some good has come out of that in so far as policy-making is concerned. Between now and Report I shall reflect on whether the issues that I and other noble Lords have raised merit further debate. From the contributions around the Committee, I think that they almost certainly do, but for now I beg leave to withdraw my Amendment.
Amendment 46 withdrawn.
Amendments 47 and 48 not moved.
Clause 8 agreed.
Clause 9 agreed.
Clause 10: Nomination of the responsible clinician
Amendment 49 not moved.
Clause 10 agreed.
Amendment 49A not moved.
Clause 11: Making treatment decisions
Amendments 50 to 54 not moved.
Clause 11 agreed.
Clauses 12 to 17 agreed.
Clause 18: Urgent electro-convulsive therapy etc
Amendments 54A and 54B not moved.
Clause 18 agreed.
Clause 19: Capacity to consent to treatment
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As a bill passes through Parliament, MPs and peers may suggest amendments - or changes - which they believe will improve the quality of the legislation.
Many hundreds of amendments are proposed by members to major bills as they pass through committee stage, report stage and third reading in both Houses of Parliament.
In the end only a handful of amendments will be incorporated into any bill.
The Speaker - or the chairman in the case of standing committees - has the power to select which amendments should be debated.
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