Removing Discrimination against Mental Health in Parliament

Mental Health in Parliament report

BREAKING NEWS! JANUARY 2011: COALITION GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCES REPEAL OF SECTION 141

Repeal of Section 141 of the Mental Health Act

One of the key recommendations in Mental Health in Parliament was that Section 141 of the Mental Health Act should be repealed.

Under Section 141 of the Mental Health Act 1983 an MP automatically loses his/her seat in Parliament if detained under the Act for a period of six months or more. There are no provisions suffering from physical illnesses which stop them from carrying out their duties and responsibilities for the same length of time.

Read more about the issue

This was raised in 2007 in the debates on the Mental Health Act but no change to the law was made. The College been campaigning in parliament on ths issue.

Progress:

• April 2009: The College was asked to give evidence to a parliamentary Committee on the issue. This was supported by Tony Blair's former spin-doctor Alistair Campbell.

• May 2009: The repeal of Section 141 was raised in the College's Equality Bill 2nd Reading briefing

• An amendment was tabled to the Equality Bill, which the College produced a briefing for. It was ruled that it was not possible to amend the Equality Bill in this way and the issue was not pursued by MPs further.

• The College urged MPs to support an amendment to the Constitutional Reform and Governance Bill to remove Section 141.

• January 2010: The Speakers Conference on Parliamentary Representation recommends the repeal of Section 141. See College press release

• March 2010: Government and political parties respond to the Speakers Conference recommendation

• February 2011: Coalition Government announces repeal of Section 141