Mental Health (Discrimination) Act 2013

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Mental Health (Discrimination) Act 2013
Act of Parliament
Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (variant 1, 1952-2022).svg
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title An Act to make further provision about discrimination against people on the grounds of their mental health.
Citation 2013 c.8
Introduced by Gavin Barwell MP (Commons)
Lord Stevenson of Coddenham (Lords)
Territorial extent  United Kingdom
Dates
Royal assent 28 February 2013
Other legislation
Relates to
Status: Current legislation
History of passage through Parliament
Text of statute as originally enacted

The Mental Health (Discrimination) Act 2013 (introduced into Parliament as the Mental Health (Discrimination) (No. 2) Bill) [1] is an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom introduced to the House of Commons by Gavin Barwell, the Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) for Croydon Central.

Contents

Legislative passage

The bill passed its House of Commons second reading on 14 September 2012. [2] [3]

Provisions

There are four sections of the act.

Section 1 ("Members of Parliament etc") removes from the Mental Health Act 1983 the provision that disqualifies from the House of Commons a member sectioned for over six months under that Act. [4] Section 2 ("Jurors") qualifies the restrictions of jury members who are receiving mental health treatment. Section 3 ("Company directors") modifies regulations in relation to the employment of director's appointments. [4] The final section gives the Secretary of State power to determine when the section relating to juries take effect; the other provisions came into force with royal assent.

Other developments

At the same time as the legislation was being passed the Commons Members Estimate Committee approved funding for mental health services to be provided for members of Parliament. [5]

Reception

The then Leader of the Opposition, Ed Miliband, said the bill would bring public understanding of mental health "into the 21st century". [6] The Government supported the legislation. [7]

References

  1. ↑ Text of proposed bill Parliament.uk
  2. ↑ Stages of Bill Parliament.uk
  3. ↑ MPs back health discrimination Bill [ dead link ] Press Association
  4. 1 2 "'Discriminatory' ban on MPs with mental health issues to be axed". BBC News. 14 September 2012. Archived from the original on 16 September 2012. Retrieved 23 July 2025.
  5. ↑ "Mental health treatment funding approved for MPs". BBC News. 13 February 2013. Archived from the original on 11 March 2021. Retrieved 23 July 2025.
  6. ↑ "Mentally ill to be allowed to become MPs, serve on juries and be company directors". The Daily Telegraph.
  7. ↑ Jowit, Juliette (14 June 2012). "Mental health problems no longer a bar to becoming an MP". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 3 May 2018. Retrieved 23 July 2025.


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