§ Mr. Cohenasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish any guidelines (a) he has issued and (b) the Metropolitan police have issued concerning police treatment of cases involving mental illness and whether any inter-disciplinary guidelines have been arrived at by either both the above or the local police affecting Leyton.
§ Mr. Giles ShawGuidance to the police on the treatment of mentally disordered persons is contained in section 4 of the "Consolidated Circular to the Police on Crime and Kindred Matters", and Home Office circular 69/1983, copies of which are in the Library of the House. I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that his force general orders reflect this guidance. No guidance on this subject has been issued by this Department or the commissioner addressed to agencies other than the police, but I understand that some guidelines on compulsory admissions procedure drawn up by the Waltham Forest district health authority were agreed by the Metropolitan police in December 1982.