Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when his Department plans to publish the White Paper on reforming the Mental Health Act 1983.

We have committed to publishing a White Paper which will set out the Government’s response to Sir Simon Wessely’s Independent Review of the Mental Health Act 1983 and pave the way for reform of the Act.

We will publish our White Paper as soon as it is possible to do so. We will consult publicly on our proposals and will bring forward a Bill to amend the Act when parliamentary time allows.