HC Deb 25 October 1982 vol 29 cc280-1W
Mr. Roy Hughes

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consultations he had with the Royal Society for Mentally Handicapped Children and Adults about the amendment tabled by the Government to clause 59 of the Mental Health (Amendment) Bill for the Report stage; and what was the Royal Association's response to the amendment.

Mr. loan Evans

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why the Royal Society for Mentally Handicapped Children and Adults was excluded from the Minister of State's consultations about the Government's amendments to clause 59 of the Mental Health (Amendment) Bill before the Report stage of the Bill on 18 October.

Mr. Hardy

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the Minister of State consulted the Royal Society for Mentally Handicapped Children and Adults in his consultations about the Government's amendments to clause 59 to the Mental Health (Amendment) Bill before the Report stage on 18–19 October.

Mr. Stallard

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many organisations and individuals were consulted by the Minister of State with regard to the Government's amendments to clause 59 of the Mental Health (Amendment) Bill before they were debated in the House at the Report stage of the Bill; if he will list the hon. Members who were consulted about the amendments; and if he will give the date or dates of the meetings at which the Minister of State consulted them.

Mr. Allen McKay

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consultations he or Ministers in his Department had with the Royal Society for Mentally Handicapped Children and Adults and MIND, respectively, about the Government's amendments to clause 59 of the Mental Health (Amendment) Bill before they were debated in the House on 19 October.

Mr. Mayhew:

The Government received several representations from hon. Members and organisations, including MIND and MENCAP, urging us not to overturn the new clause added at Committee stage on the Mental Health (Amendment) Bill seeking to delete from section 4(3) of the Representation of the People Act 1949 the words which prevent a mental hospital patient from acquiring residence at his hospital address for the purpose of electoral registration.

The issues were discussed at meetings arranged at the request of the hon. Members for Newcastle-upon-Tyne, East (Mr. Thomas) and Lewisham, West (Mr. Price) on 15 and 20 September respectively. MIND, which we understand, was closely associated with the original amendment and had previously raised the matter with us in 1981, was represented at the second of these meetings. Because of the pressing need to bring forward fresh amendments at Report stage, however, we carried out no formal consultations.