Mental health detention bid debated

The Bill would amend the 1983 Act and is the latest stage in long-running Government efforts to introduce in England and Wales powers to detain people with serious personality disorders, even if they have committed no crime.

It was introduced last year when a controversial draft Bill was dropped after eight years of planning because of criticism from mental health charities and civil rights groups.

The shake-up in the law - reportedly driven by Michael Stone's 1998 conviction for the brutal murders of Lin and Megan Russell - would affect about 14,000 of the 600,000 people who use mental health services each year.

Every year, about 55 to 60 murders are committed by mental health patients and provisions in the Bill are aimed at reducing such tragedies.

Earlier this month, ministers revealed changes to the planned legislation which they hoped would end the long-running wrangle over detaining the mentally ill who have not committed crimes.

The amendments, unveiled by health minister Rosie Winterton, were designed to allay fears that teenagers will be treated on adult wards and that psychiatrists will be allowed to dictate where patients live and what they do.

She insisted then that the Government would not back down on plans to allow doctors to issue supervised community treatment orders (CTOs) requiring mentally ill offenders to attend appointments and take their medication after release, despite a string of defeats in the Lords.

But the amendments did include a restriction on the conditions that may be placed on patients when doctors issue CTOs, making clear that they must be designed to prevent harm to their health and safety and protect other people.

Ms Winterton said at the time that the changes resulted in a Bill that "strikes the right balance between patient safeguards and public safety".