Our response to the Draft Mental Health Bill, which will amend the Mental Health Act (1983), raises concerns that the suggested measures do not go far enough to address pronouced racial disparities in the sector. We agree with the Joint Committee that “the Bill must be stronger in how it tackles racial disparity”, as the government's own data shows that:

• Black people are detained under the Mental Health Act at rates up to 5 times higher than white people. ​
• Community Treatment Orders (CTOs) are issued to Black people at rates over 7 times higher than their white counterparts.

As a result, we're calling for clear measures and safeguards to address these inequalities and ensure that communities of colour are better served and supported by the legislation in place.