§ Dr. BrayTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he proposes to revise the code of practice for the guidance of medical practitioners and others in accordance with the requirements of the Mental Health Act (Scotland) 1984. [25877]
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonUnder section 119 of the Mental Health (Scotland) Act 1984, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland is required to prepare, and from time to time revise, this code of practice. The original code of practice for this Act was laid before Parliament on 16 November 1989.
It is currently proposed in the Mental Health (Patients in the Community) Bill, which recently received its Third Reading in another place, that the ambit of the code of practice should be widened to include after-care services for patients subject to the proposed community care orders and existing provisions for guardianship. We intend to begin a review of the code of practice after the provisions in this Bill have entered into force; the proposed commencement date for the provisions is 1 April 1996.