§ Mr. AtkinsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the membership of the working group established in 1989 to draft the Mental Health Act 1983 code of practice; and if he will give details of any request he has made to the Mental Health Act Commission to monitor the code.
§ Mr. FreemanThe working group was composed of the following members:
Chairman:
Mr. A. J. Collier, CB—formerly deputy secretary, Department of Health and Social Security;Members:
Professor E. Murphy—consultant psycho-geriatrician and general manager, Lewisham and north Southwark health authority;Mrs. J. Miles—general manager, priority care services unit, Aylesbury Vale health authority;Mr. M. Brown—director of nursing (mental health) West Lambeth health authority;Mr. N. Welch—principal officer, (psychiatric hospitals) Oxfordshire social services department.Secretary:
Mr. W. Bingley—legal director of MIND, on secondment to the Department of Health while acting as secretary;Assistant secretary:
Mrs. M. Houston—Department of Health.I have asked the Mental Health Act Commission to monitor the implementation of the code of practice, and from time to time to advise Ministers on any changes that 750W Ministers should consider making to the code. In addition, I have asked the commission to consider the criticisms of the code made by Lord Mottistone in the debate in the other place on 29 January 1990 at columns 68 to 86 and to advise Ministers upon them by the end of this calendar year. I know that the commission will be pleased to receive any representations on these specific criticisms or on the code generally.