§ 86. Mr. Hector Hughesasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will state in detail what steps he has taken, or proposes to take, and what tribunals he has set up, to implement the provisions of the Mental Health (Scotland) Act.
§ Mr. MaclayI intend that the Mental Health (Scotland) Act should be brought into operation by stages. The first stage will be to repeal the existing Lunacy Acts to the extent necessary to allow informal admission of patients to mental hospitals, in the same way as patients are admitted to general hospitals.
The second stage will be to bring into operation Part II of the Act dealing with local authority services. I have already issued to local health authorities a statutory direction which imposes on them a duty to make arrangements for the purpose of the prevention of mental disorder and the care and after-care of persons who are or have been suffering from mental disorder. I have also informed them that I will be calling on them to submit their proposals for mental health services, once I have received the advice on this subject of the Standing Advisory Committee on local authority services of the Scottish Health Services Council.
The final stage will be to bring into operation the major part of the Act, dealing with the establishment of the Mental Welfare Commission, the procedure for patients who have to be compulsorily detained, and other matters. Introduction of this part of the Act involves consultations and the preparation of explanatory material for all those concerned with its operation which must necessarily take some time.
With regard to the last part of the Question, the Act does not provide for the setting up of any tribunals.