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House of Commons

Friday 15 June 2018

Consideration of Bill (Report Stage)

New Amendments handed in are marked thus

Amendments which will comply with the required notice period at their next appearance

Mental Health Units (Use of Force) Bill, As

Amended

Note

This document includes all amendments tabled to date and includes any

withdrawn amendments at the end. The amendments have been arranged in the

order in which they relate to the Bill.

Mr Steve Reed

NC1

To move the following Clause—

“Independent investigation of deaths

(1)    

A registered manager must within seven days of becoming aware of a death to

which this section applies notify the Secretary of State in writing of that death.

(2)    

This section applies to a death if—

(a)    

the death occurred during, or as a result of, the use of force on the

deceased patient, and

(b)    

the use of force occurred at a mental health unit managed by the

registered manager.

(3)    

On being notified of a death, the Secretary of State must appoint an independent

person—

(a)    

to investigate the circumstances of the death, and

(b)    

to prepare a report regarding that death.

(4)    

A person appointed under this section must be independent of the NHS and of

private providers of mental health services.

(5)    

A person appointed under this section must provide a report within three months

of that appointment.

(6)    

The Secretary of State must within 14 days of receiving the report publish—

Consideration of Bill (Report Stage): 15 June 2018        

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Mental Health Units (Use of Force) Bill, continued

(a)    

the report, or

(b)    

a statement that a report under this section has been received.

(7)    

The Secretary of State may only publish a statement under subsection (6)(b) if

satisfied that the publication of the report would be contrary to the public interest,

which includes causing prejudice to—

(a)    

any potential or ongoing court proceedings,

(b)    

the conduct of a senior coroner’s investigation under Part 1 of the

Coroners and Justice Act 2009.

(8)    

A statement published under subsection (6)(b) must include—

(a)    

the name and date of birth of the deceased,

(b)    

the date and place of the death,

(c)    

the place at which the use of force occurred, if different from the place of

the death,

(d)    

the identity of the registered manager in relation to the mental health unit,

and

(e)    

how the publication of the report would, in the opinion of the Secretary

of State, be contrary to the public interest.

(9)    

The Secretary of State must publish the report as soon as practicable upon the

conclusion of the proceedings or investigation.”

Mr Steve Reed

NC2

To move the following Clause—

“Independent investigation of deaths: legal aid

(1)    

Schedule 1 to the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012

(civil legal services) is amended as follows.

(2)    

After paragraph 41 (inquests) insert—

“41A  

 Investigation of deaths resulting from use of force in mental health

units

(1)    

Civil legal services provided to an individual in relation to an

investigation under section (independent investigations of deaths) of the

Mental Health Units (Use of Force) Act 2018 (independent investigation

of deaths) into the death of a member of the individual’s family.

(2)    

For the purposes of this paragraph an individual is a member of another

individual’s family if—

(a)    

they are relatives (whether of the full blood or half blood or by

marriage or civil partnership),

(b)    

they are cohabitants (as defined in Part 4 of the Family Law Act

1996), or

(c)    

one has parental responsibility for the other.”

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Mental Health Units (Use of Force) Bill, continued

Sir Christopher Chope

86

Clause  1,  page  1,  line  13,  leave out sub-paragraph (ii)

Sir Christopher Chope

87

Clause  1,  page  1,  line  15,  leave out subsection (4)

Philip Davies

44

Clause  1,  page  2,  line  3,  leave out “force” and insert “restraint”

Norman Lamb

40

Clause  1,  page  2,  line  4,  after “use” insert “or threat ”

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment, together with Amendments 41 to 43, would extend the definition of the use of

force for the provisions in the Bill to cover threats of the use of force and coercion.

Sir Christopher Chope

88

Clause  1,  page  2,  line  4,  leave out “mechanical or chemical” and insert “or

mechanical”

Sir Christopher Chope

89

Clause  1,  page  2,  line  5,  leave out paragraph (b)

Norman Lamb

41

Clause  1,  page  2,  line  5,  after “isolation” insert “or threat of isolation”

Member’s explanatory statement

See explanatory statement for Amendment 40.

Norman Lamb

42

Clause  1,  page  2,  line  5,  at end insert “or

(c)    

the coercion of a patient.”

Member’s explanatory statement

See explanatory statement for Amendment 40.

Sir Christopher Chope

90

Clause  1,  page  2,  leave out lines 14 and 15

Sir Christopher Chope

91

Clause  1,  page  2,  leave out lines 16 and 17

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Mental Health Units (Use of Force) Bill, continued

Norman Lamb

43

Clause  1,  page  2,  line  17,  at end insert—

““Coercion” means the use or threat of force, with the intention of causing

fear, alarm or distress to control a patient’s behaviour or elicit

compliance with the application of a use of force.”

Member’s explanatory statement

See explanatory statement for Amendment 40.

Sir Christopher Chope

92

Clause  2,  page  2,  line  20,  leave out “a relevant” and insert “any”

Sir Christopher Chope

93

Clause  2,  page  2,  line  23,  leave out “relevant”

Robert Courts

105

Clause  2,  page  2,  leave out line 24 and insert—

“(b)    

appropriate in terms of qualifications or experience.”

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment would give relevant health organisations flexibility to appoint a responsible

person based on criteria other than seniority.

Robert Courts

106

Clause  2,  page  2,  line  24,  at end insert—

“(2A)    

Before appointing a responsible person, the relevant health organisation must

consult any persons that the organisation considers appropriate.”

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment would require relevant health organisations to consult before appointing a

responsible person.

Sir Christopher Chope

94

Clause  2,  page  2,  line  25,  leave out “relevant”

Robert Courts

107

Clause  3,  page  2,  line  29,  after “publish”, insert “in print, with or without any other

format,”

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment would require a relevant health organisation’s policy to be published in hard

copy so it is accessible to people in the unit, and not just online.

Consideration of Bill (Report Stage): 15 June 2018        

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Mental Health Units (Use of Force) Bill, continued

Philip Davies

45

Clause  3,  page  2,  line  30,  leave out “force” and insert “restraint”

Sir Christopher Chope

95

Clause  3,  page  2,  line  32,  leave out “relevant”

Robert Courts

108

Clause  3,  page  2,  line  35,  leave out “any” and insert “persons who appear to the

responsible person to represent the interests of patients and any other”

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment would ensure that patient representatives are consulted in the development of the

policy before it is published.

Robert Courts

109

Clause  3,  page  2,  line  41,  leave out “any” and insert “persons that appear to the

responsible person to represent the interests of patients and any other”

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment would ensure that patient representatives are consulted on any substantial

changes to the policy.

Norman Lamb

37

Clause  3,  page  3,  line  2,  at end insert—

“(6A)    

A policy published under this section must set out that the use of force will only

be used without the sole intention of inflicting pain, suffering or humiliation, or

subjecting patients to tortuous, inhumane or degrading treatment, or without

inflicting punishment or intimidation.”

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment would prevent the use of force with the sole intention of causing suffering or harm

to a patient, in line with the Mental Health Act code of practice and the UN Convention against

Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.

Norman Lamb

36

Clause  3,  page  3,  line  3,  leave out from “out” to end of line 4 and insert—

“(a)    

a description of each of the methods of restraint that may be used in the

mental health unit;

(b)    

what steps will be taken to reduce and minimise the use of force in the

mental health unit by staff who work in the unit;

(c)    

a description of the techniques to be used for avoiding or reducing the use

of force in the mental health unit by staff who work in the unit; and

(d)    

a commitment to reducing the overall use of force in the mental health

unit.”

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment would require mental health units to commit to reducing the overall use of force,

and increase transparency about how they intend to achieve this and what types of force they

permit.

Consideration of Bill (Report Stage): 15 June 2018        

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Mental Health Units (Use of Force) Bill, continued

Philip Davies

46

Clause  3,  page  3,  line  4,  leave out “force” and insert “restraint”

Philip Davies

47

Clause  4,  page  3,  line  7,  leave out “force” and insert “restraint”

Norman Lamb

38

Clause  4,  page  3,  line  8,  at end insert—

“(1A)    

Information under subsection (1) must include a patient’s right to advocacy and

how to access an advocate.”

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment would ensure that people’s legal rights to advocacy, under existing provisions,

are communicated to them in relation to the use of force.

Robert Courts

110

Clause  4,  page  3,  line  13,  after “patient,” insert—

“(aa)    

to any person appearing to be the patient’s nearest relative within

the meaning of section 26(3) of the Mental Health Act 1983, if

that person is in the unit,”.

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment would ensure that a patient’s nearest relative is provided with the information

published under subsection (1) if they are in the unit.

Secretary Jeremy Hunt

1

Clause  4,  page  3,  line  16,  at end insert—

“unless the patient (where paragraph (a) applies) or the other person (where

paragraph (b) applies) refuses the information.”

Member’s explanatory statement

This allows for cases where a person refuses the information provided, and supersedes subsections

(9)(a) and (10)(a).

Secretary Jeremy Hunt

2

Clause  4,  page  3,  line  22,  leave out subsection (5) and insert—

“(5)    

The responsible person must take whatever steps are reasonably practicable to

ensure that the patient is aware of the information and understands it.”

Member’s explanatory statement

This expands the duty to provide information accessibly so that it requires the responsible person

to take whatever steps are reasonably practicable to ensure the patient understands.

Consideration of Bill (Report Stage): 15 June 2018        

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Mental Health Units (Use of Force) Bill, continued

Secretary Jeremy Hunt

3

Clause  4,  page  3,  line  33,  leave out subsections (9) and (10)

Member’s explanatory statement

Subsections (9)(a) and (10)(a) are superseded by Amendment 1. Subsections (9)(b) and (10)(b) are

unnecessary as the information will not be of a nature that would cause distress.

Sir Christopher Chope

96

Clause  4,  page  3,  line  36,  leave out “the responsible person considers that”

Sir Christopher Chope

97

Clause  4,  page  3,  line  42,  leave out “the responsible person considers that”

Philip Davies

48

Clause  5,  page  4,  line  3,  leave out “force” and insert “restraint”

Norman Lamb

79

Clause  5,  page  4,  line  3,  at end insert—

“(1A)    

The Secretary of State must publish quality standards for training provided under

subsection (1).

(1B)    

The Secretary of State may delegate the publication of quality standards for

training under subsection (2).”

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment would require training on the use of force to comply with quality standards.

Sir Christopher Chope

98

Clause  5,  page  4,  line  6,  after “patients” insert “and their families”

Philip Davies

Robert Courts

9

Clause  5,  page  4,  line  9,  leave out paragraph (c)

Philip Davies

49

Clause  5,  page  4,  line  11,  leave out “force” and insert “restraint”

Philip Davies

50

Clause  5,  page  4,  line  12,  leave out “force” and insert “restraint”