§ Lord Clement-Jonesasked Her Majesty's Government:
Why less than one calendar month was given for the consultation on the draft outline proposals produced by the mental health legislation scoping study review chaired by Professor Richardson; and whether they will extend the consultation period in the light of the difficulties experienced by the voluntary sector in responding within the original timescale. [HL2316]
§ Baroness HaymanThe period of consultation was determined by the expert group appointed to give advice on the changes necessary to mental health legislation to bring it into line with current patterns of care and treatment and to support the Government's mental health strategy.
There is, we understand, no scope for extending the deadline for comments. However, while we regret that some organisations and individuals have had difficulty in making a response within the time-frame, we must make it clear that this is an informal, preliminary consultation in preparation for the committee's report to ministers. Once the committee's report has been received, the Government will issue their own proposals, which will be the subject of full, wide-ranging consultation.