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Mental Health Bill [Lords]

A significant number of changes have been made to the Bill, many of which will greatly improve mental health services, especially for young people. The initial criticism was that the Bill would not make enough changes, but no one could claim now that Ministers have not listened. Our debates in Committee have borne fruit and changes are being made, especially to age-appropriate services, settings and specialists for those under 18. Some of the evidence that we heard, which hon. Members have described, was about the lack of education for young people, the difficulty in accessing family members and the anxiety and fear that they experienced on adult wards. Those points have been recognised and the changes that will be in place by 2010 will address all the issues. Amendment No. 4 would ensure that services for 16 and 17-year-olds came into line with the services proposed for under-16s in new clause 4, so that those who do not request a review will get one annually rather than every three years, as at present. That seems only right. Life at 16 and 17 can be distressing. Young people of that age change fast, their emotions are changeable, difficult and contradictory. Physical changes and emotional turmoil can be extreme. It is also a time when people are trying to find their voices, put their own ideas and find their own competency. If we are to help young people of 16, 17 and 18 who are struggling to find mental stability and competency, it is only right that they have the opportunity to request a review every year, so that they can look again at their lives, the decisions they have made and the mental health troubles they are experiencing. Services can then be reviewed and their decisions challenged. I welcome the Minister’s generosity in saying that she will consider amendment No. 4, because it will give 16 and 17-year-olds access to the services in new clause 4. I hope that it will ensure that they will have the annual reviews necessary at that vulnerable time in their lives. As they enter adult life, they should still have the rights of a child to have their lives examined and questioned and their voices heard.