RACISM AND MENTAL HEALTH

Early day motion 431, tabled 15 November 2001 by Helen Clark (Labour). Signed by 17 members.

That this House welcomes the commitment of the Department of Health to work with the Norfolk Health Authority in setting up the panel and its terms of reference for an inquiry into the death of David Bennett, who died whilst under restraint as a patient in the Norvic Clinic, Norwich in October 1998 and the fact that the Norfolk NHS Trust has moved to adopt an active policy to deal with racial abuse; regrets the continuing failure of the Department of Health to give reasons for the lack of support for a full public inquiry; calls attention to MIND's promotion of 'The Rocky Bennett campaign call for an independent public inquiry' and to the long-standing evidence of more coercive treatment of black mental health patients and the relative unavailability of appropriate diagnosis and treatment for possible mental illness at an earlier stage; and believes that the circumstances surrounding David's death should be investigated publicly, particularly the role played by racism and control and restraint procedures, so that lessons learned can be applied throughout the mental health services.

Signatures by party: Labour 14, Liberal Democrat 2, Labour/Co-operative 1.