HC Deb 20 May 1976 vol 911 cc1695-6
5. Mr. Flannery

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is satisfied with the arrangements for voting rights of patients in psychiaric hospitals; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. John

The 1973–74 Speaker's Conference recommended that patients resident in mental hospitals should be able to use the hospital as their qualifying address for the purpose of electoral registration. The Government have now accepted this recommendation in principle, subject to the satisfactory resolution of certain practical problems that have been identified by an interdepartmental working party set up on the recommendation of the Speaker's Conference.

Mr. Flannery

I thank my right hon. Friend for that answer. Will he accept from me that among the best of the community health councils—modesty forbids me from admitting that one is in Sheffield—there is very deep concern about this matter? Can an overall review of the democratisation of, and voting in, such institutions be undertaken?

Mr. John

My hon. Friend will know from my earlier answer that the working party is looking at the practical problems, the principle having been accepted by the Government. It is now consulting other parties and specialist bodies in mental health to see how these practical problems can be overcome.

Mr. Christopher Price

There will be a wide welcome for this move, since many patients in psychiatric hospitals are there for no better reason than that their relatives have deserted them and they have nowhere else to live. There is some urgency about sorting out the final details. May we have a date when final implementation can be expected?

Mr. John

I cannot do that, because a satisfactory solution is often preferable to a quick unsatisfactory solution. As for the question of principle, I was a member of the Speaker's Conference and I have no hesitation in saying that we found the case compellingly made out. That is why we made that recommendation.