Purpose and Effect
This paragraph amends section 141 of the Mental Health Act 1983 for the purposes of ensuring that the Presiding Officer is informed when a member of the Parliament is detained on grounds of mental illness in the same way that the Speaker of the House of Commons is notified when a Member of Parliament is detained. It also enables the Presiding Officer to have the member examined independently by medical practitioners in the same way that the Speaker can provide for such examination of an MP. It also provides that the member’s seat is vacated if he is still detained after 6 months.