My Lords, I thank all noble Lords for examining the important issues that have been raised in this group of amendments.

Amendment 55, in the name of the noble Baroness, Lady Tyler, supported by the noble Lord, Lord Scriven, seeks to change the Mental Capacity Act to allow young people aged 16 or 17 the ability to make a binding advance decision to refuse medical treatment for mental disorder. I shall set out some concerns about the amendment that may be helpful.

First, the amendment would mean that a young person who is not detained under the Mental Health Act could refuse a mental health treatment, even if it was life-sustaining. While the Mental Health Act and the Bill currently provide safeguards that enable a person’s advance decision to be overruled, detention under the Act may not always be appropriate. For example, if a 16 year-old is left very unwell following an attempted suicide, then currently they may be given treatment on the basis of what is in their best interests, under the Mental Capacity Act, if they lack capacity to consent at the time. However, under the amendment, if the 16 year-old had made an advance decision to refuse treatment necessary for their recovery or to sustain their life, then they might need to be detained under the Mental Health Act simply so that their advance decision could be overruled. This is important in terms of timely access to treatment and to avoid loss of life, of course.

Secondly, to take forward this amendment would be to deviate from a long-standing legal principle established by common law in the courts. With this in mind, there is a risk that a young person’s advance decision would be challenged by the parent and overturned by the courts, making this new right potentially meaningless or at least somewhat unclear.

Thirdly, the amendment could result in an asymmetry with physical health treatment—which I know the noble Baroness would not wish to see, and I completely understand that—regarding whether treatment could be refused in advance. This is likely to create some confusion among health practitioners, especially where it is not clear whether the purpose of the treatment is to address a physical illness or a mental illness or both. An example would be the use of nasogastric tube feeding under the Mental Health Act to treat a young person’s eating disorder. This confusion could potentially result in legal challenge and a delay in treatment, which would of course potentially risk a young person’s health and safety, although I know that is not the intention.