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An influential group of MPs has rebuked the Welsh assembly for its slow progress in improving mental health services.

The joint committee set up to scrutinise the draft Mental Health Bill said services in Wales were so far behind England it was "very unlikely" that it could be successfully introduced there.

The committee called for the assembly to increase the spend to bring services up to standard.

The report found that plans to expand compulsory detention and community treatment services by establishing mental health tribunals would flounder in Wales because of the shortage of psychiatrists and poor regulatory and service infrastructure.

It reiterated concerns that introducing the bill would divert attention and resources away from the implementation of the care programme approach initiative - a feature of the English system for more than 10 years - and the Welsh assembly's mental health national service framework.

"The standard of mental health services in Wales must be at least as good as it is now in England before the provisions in the draft bill can be implemented," the report said.

"Resources should be allocated in order to enable the service to be brought up to the English standard. It seems very unlikely Wales could successfully implement the provisions of the bill with the resources currently available."

Analysis by mental health charity Hafal shows spending on mental health services in Wales will grow by 12.7 per cent over the next three years while investment in other health and social care services will increase by 19.4 per cent over that period.

Hafal deputy chief executive Alun Thomas said the assembly's approach in the framework to developing more community-based services was the right one but more money was needed to ensure people received services when they needed them.

"For too many people their first experience of mental health services is in being compulsorily detained. We want people to be seen by a consultant psychiatrist within two weeks of referral from a GP," he said.

Report from www.parliament.uk/parliamentary_committees/jcdmhb.cfm