Scrap Bill and start again, says Rethink

Scrapping the draft mental health bill and starting from scratch
would be “preferable” to piling amendments on the “contorted and
badly written” draft.

Chief executive of charity Rethink, Cliff Prior, told a conference
this week that it would be preferable if the Commons committee set
up to look at the redrafted bill decided to “start again, amend the
1983 Act or look at the Scottish mental health bill”.

The Mental Health Alliance, a group of organisations opposed to the
draft bill, met last week to decide whether to “kill the bill or
amend it”, but decided to amend it as it was “the only game in
town”.

But Prior told the London conference organised by the Harrogate
Management Centre: “There is a real danger that we could see
amendment piled on amendment”.