Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of how effectively the draft Mental Health Bill addresses concerns raised by respondents to the consultation on Reforming the Mental Health Act, updated 24 August 2021, on how the reforms will serve the needs of children and young people.

The Government published the draft Mental Health Bill on 27 June, which is currently subject to pre-legislative scrutiny by a joint Parliamentary committee. The Government consulted on the proposals for legislation which were made by the Independent Review of the Mental Health Act in 2018 and through the responses received to the Reforming the Mental Health Act white paper. We have also worked with charities to gather the views of those who were either in inpatient services or had lived experience of the Act, including children and young people. This has informed the development of the draft Bill.