Children and Young Persons Bill [HL]

I happen to agree with the noble Baroness, Lady Meacher, that the arguments are overwhelming. I always find her arguments when she is speaking in favour of a proposition, clear, concise and extraordinarily well assembled. I really think it would be difficult to add anything to the very convincing arguments she has put forward. I only emphasise that the reason I put my name to this amendment is that it comes into the whole area of prevention rather than cure. The long-term implications for the youngsters concerned, if this sort of thing is not done effectively, are severe. The cost to society can be extraordinary because, as all of us know—and I am sure that the noble Lord, Lord Ramsbotham, may have something to say about this—it is true that our prisons are full of people who should never be in prison because they are basically there as a result of mental health problems. Here we are, if we do not make effective provision, aiding and abetting that extraordinarily negative process. I warmly welcome the amendment. I am glad at the same time to express a word of support for Amendment No. 47, spelling out the responsibilities of primary care trusts, and Amendment No. 92, setting out exactly how assessment should be made. I hope that the Minister will feel able to take these points seriously. As I have said before, I do not see the point of the Moses Room process unless it is turned into a prelegislative process in which the Minister has a chance to take on board the arguments and go away and think about them before we get to what we have turned the Report stage into—a de facto Committee stage, when we actually take votes. So I hope that my noble friend will listen.