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Mental Health Bill [HL]

I thank all Members of the Committee who participated in this illuminating debate. I ask the noble Baroness, Lady Murphy, to convey the Committee’s best wishes to the noble Lord, Lord Rix, whose contribution was missed. I also thank the noble Lord, Lord Owen, who enabled us to put the question into a wider legislative context. That was extremely helpful, as were the descriptions of the noble Baroness, Lady Murphy, and of my noble friend Lord Alderdice of what it is like to be a practitioner implementing such legislation and decision-making on a regular basis, sometimes in emergencies. The noble Lord, Lord Hunt, said that one of the core purposes of the Bill was to enhance services. In their response to the joint scrutiny committee, the Government told us in very forthright terms that we had misunderstood the draft legislation and that it concerned the circumstances under which people could be given compulsory treatment.