Written question asked by Lord Wedderburn of Charlton (Labour), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Lord Warner (Labour) on Monday, 30 January 2006.

Mental Health: Draft Bill

Question: Whether they intend to consult further on the Mental Health Bill before it is introduced into Parliament.

Answer: We have conducted formal consultation on the draft Bill and through publication of a revised draft for pre-legislative scrutiny, and have developed the legislation accordingly. There will be no further formal consultation before the introduction of the Bill, but we intend to continue communicating with stakeholders prior to the introduction of the Bill and during its passage.In addition, we recognise that black and minority ethnic groups have particular concerns about the Bill and the impact it will have on them. We have been undertaking a race equality impact assessment on the Bill. We recently agreed to extend the consultation, at the request of stakeholders, to allow further dialogue to take place. The race equality impact assessment will be published alongside the Bill when it is introduced into Parliament.This is not the end of the process. We will continue to consult on how best to implement the new legislation with the stakeholders—for instance, through the implementation advisory group and other workstreams.

Secondary information