§ Mr. Robert McCartneyTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the number of killings by discharged mental hospital patients with personality disorders; what assessment he has made of the scope of the current laws in(a) Northern Ireland and (b) Great Britain to prevent such killings; and what proposals he has for change. [36716]
§ Mr. MossI am aware of one such case in Northern Ireland, the circumstances of which are currently the subject of an independent review.
The operation of the powers of detention under the Mental Health (Northern Ireland) Order 1986, and of the Mental Health Act 1983, is not significantly different in practice. Neither the Act nor the Order is intended to allow the detention in hospital of someone whose condition is not amenable to treatment. Under the Northern Ireland Order, personality disorder alone is not sufficient grounds for detention for treatment, but a person may be detained where he or she is also suffering from mental illness. In England and Wales, a patient with a psychopathic or personality disorder may only be detained under the 1983 Act where treatment is likely to alleviate or prevent a deterioration of his condition.
I have no proposals for change to the Northern Ireland mental health legislation, but the need for change is kept under regular review. In addition, the Mental Health Commission for Northern Ireland has a statutory duty to monitor the operation of the order.