Queen’s Speech heralds mental health reforms

 The government will introduce legislation to provide compulsory treatment in the community for people with mental health problems, it revealed today.

As expected, The Queen’s Speech included a bill to amend the Mental Health Act 1983, which will also allow compulsory powers to be used to provide “appropriate treatment”, replacing the current “treatability test”, which requires there to be therapeutic benefit.

The bill will also attempt to close the so-called Bournewood gap, to introduce safeguards people who lack capacity who are deprived of their liberty.

Other bills will:

New powers to tackle antisocial behaviour.
Take forward the local government white paper, including the introduction of a new performance framework.
Restructure the probation service .
Scrap the Child Support Agency and encourage more parents to make private maintenance arrangements.
Link the basic state pension to earnings, gradually raise the pension age and reduce the number of years of contribution required to secure a full pension .
Give older and disabled people free off-peak bus travel.