---

Mental Health Bill [Lords]

Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, for calling me to speak in this good-natured debate. I assure you and the Minister that there will not be any strops from this Member of Parliament. There have been strops in the past, but he is in a very good mood and has had supper, so he is well balanced and his sugar levels are where they should be. I welcomed the Minister’s statement on new clause 4, which represents a great step forward, but I must express my concerns, although I will do so less eloquently than my hon. Friend the Member for East Worthing and Shoreham (Tim Loughton). Adult wards are accommodating children, which suggests that there is a shortage of appropriate facilities in this country for young people with mental health problems. My hon. Friend said that people would rather go to appropriate facilities in Scotland than an adult mental health ward near their home. I hope that young people will not have to make such a choice and that appropriate facilities will be available near their homes. It is important that young people have their family and friends nearby at a difficult and traumatic time in their lives. Will the Minister clarify where the resources will come from to fund the creation of additional suitable environments? She will be aware that Hertfordshire’s mental health trust is having to make significant cuts to its budget to contribute towards addressing the PCT deficit. I hope that the money for the creation of appropriate facilities will not be taken from another part of the mental health budget through a process of robbing Peter to pay Paul. The money should be additional to that already in the system and overall budgets should expand to ensure that young people are given suitable accommodation so that we can make them well as quickly as possible and return them to their families and friends in good time.