Mental Health Bill: call for evidence

Aims of the Bill

The Mental Health Bill [HL] is a Government bill that would amend the Mental Health Act 1983.

The 1983 Act is the legislation that currently regulates the compulsory detention and treatment of people with a mental disorder. The Government has said the purpose of the bill is to amend the “outdated” 1983 Act, by implementing many of the recommendations of an independent review of the Mental Health Act in 2018. The Government has said the bill would give more autonomy and voice to those with mental health conditions and address the disproportionate number of Black, Asian and minority ethnic people who are sectioned under the 1983 Act.

Changes proposed in the bill include:

• ensuring that detention and compulsory treatment are only undertaken when necessary, and providing for more frequent reviews and appeals;
• limiting the length of time that people with autism or a learning disability can be detained under the Act; and
• removing police stations and prisons from the list of “places of safety” in the 1983 Act to which those with a mental disorder can be removed and detained.

The Bill is similar (but not identical) to a draft Mental Health Bill published in 2022 by the previous Conservative Government. That bill was subject to pre-legislative scrutiny by a joint committee, which published its report in January 2023. The previous Government responded to the joint committee’s recommendations in March 2024, but the draft bill was not introduced in Parliament before the 2024 general election.

The Bill would extend to England and Wales only (apart from the general clauses at the end of the Bill, which extend UK-wide).

Follow the progress of the Mental Health Bill [Lords]

The Mental Health Bill [Lords] was introduced in the House of Lords on 6 November 2024 and had its second reading on 19 May 2025.

• Bills before Parliament: Mental Health Bill [HL]
• Read Explanatory Notes: Mental Health Bill [HL]
• House of Commons Library Briefing Paper

There will be no oral evidence sessions held for this Bill.

Guidance on submitting written evidence

Deadline for written evidence submissions

The Public Bill Committee is now able to receive written evidence. The sooner you send in your submission, the more time the Committee will have to take it into consideration.

Amendments tabled to the Bill, and information regarding the order in which amendments will be taken in Committee, will be available in due course on the Bill’s publications page (under ‘Amendment paper’ and ‘Selection of amendments’). Once the Committee has dealt with an amendment it will not revisit it.

The Public Bill Committee on the Mental Health Bill [Lords] will meet for the first time on Tuesday 9 June 2025 and is expected to report by 5pm on Thursday 26 June. When the Committee concludes its consideration of the Bill it is no longer able to receive written evidence and it can conclude earlier than the expected deadline of 5.00pm on Thursday 26 June 2025. You are strongly advised to submit your written evidence as soon as possible.

Your submission should be emailed to scrutiny@parliament.uk

• Further guidance on submitting written evidence (pdf, 1MB)

Image: House of Commons