Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of including early intervention measures within the upcoming Mental Health Bill.

The Government published a draft Mental Health Bill on 23 June 2022. It is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/draft-mental-health-bill-2022

The draft Bill is focused on modernising the Mental Health Act 1983, which provides the legislative framework under which people may be detained and treated for a severe mental disorder. The draft Bill is currently subject to pre-legislative scrutiny by a joint Parliamentary Committee. Information on the Committee is available at the following link:

https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/605/joint-committee-on-the-draft-mental-health-bill/

Following pre-legislative scrutiny, the Government will bring forward a Mental Health Bill when Parliamentary time allows.