Mental Health Bill [HL]

The noble Baroness, Lady Royall, expressed the generous wish that she had been on the committee. I, too, wish that, as I am sure that, had she been on the committee, she would have agreed, like everyone else, with all its conclusions bar one. I hope that she will agree with the conclusions that are drawn from the amendment. The scrutiny committee was absolutely clear that this was about protection. Our concern was that the law was not clear enough to ensure that 16 and 17 year-olds had the same protection as other groups when subjected to the possibility of compulsory treatment. I hope that the Government will take that on board and agree to go forward towards finding something to meet those concerns.