§ 42. Mr. K. Robinsonasked the Minister of Health if he is satisfied, in view of the small number of applications to mental health review tribunals, that patients detained in hospital are generally aware of the existence of the tribunals; and what steps he will take to ensure that such patients are informed of their right to apply to the tribunals for discharge.
§ The Minister of Health (Mr. Enoch Powell)Hospitals and mental nursing homes have been asked to give detained patients and their nearest relatives a statement of their rights, and a series of leaflets is supplied for this purpose. I have no reason to doubt that the request is being complied with.
§ Mr. RobinsonNevertheless, would not the Minister agree that the number of eighty-six applications up to the middle of last month is very much smaller than anybody envisaged at the time of the passage of the Mental Health Act? Is the right hon. Gentleman quite satisfied that patients know about these tribunals?
§ Mr. PowellI do not think the small number until recently is significant, 30 because, up to the end of April, as the hon. Member will realise, it was only a very limited number of patients who had the right to apply. We shall get a much better idea of how this is working from now onwards.