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Mental Health Act 1959

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Changes over time for: Mental Health Act 1959 (without Schedules)

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Version Superseded: 03/04/2006

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Point in time view as at 07/06/2005.

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Part IE+W Preliminary

1—5.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F1E+W

Textual Amendments

Part IIE+W Local Authority Services

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

General ProvisionsE+W

6, 7.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F2E+W

Textual Amendments

8 Functions of welfare authorities.E+W

[F3(1)For the purposes of subsection (8) of section twenty-one of the M1National Assistance Act 1948 (which restricts the duties of local authorities in respect of the provision of accommodation under that section by reference to the provision authorised or required to be made under other enactments) no account shall be taken of the provision authorised or required to be made by [F4local social services authorities] under [F5paragraph 2 of Schedule 8 to the M2National Health Service Act 1977], with respect to residential accommodation for persons who are or have been suffering from mental disorder.]

(2)[F6The persons referred to in subsection (1) of section twenty-nine of the said Act of 1948 (which section enables local authorities to make arrangements for promoting the welfare of blind persons and other disabled persons described in the said subsection (1)) shall include mentally disordered persons of any description; and] for the purposes of subsection (6) of that section (which, among other things, excludes from that section the provision of accommodation or services required to be provided under the M3National Health Service Act 1946), no account shall be taken of the provisions of [F7Schedule 8 to the M4National Health Service Act 1977], with respect to the provision of [F6accommodation or]services for such persons.

F8(3). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(4)Nothing in this section shall be construed as requiring a local authority to make provision for the same purposes both under . . . F9 Part III of the M5National Assistance Act 1948 [F10and under Schedule 8 to the M6National Health Service Act 1977].

Textual Amendments

Marginal Citations

F119. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E+W

Textual Amendments

F11S. 9 repealed (14.10.1991) by Children Act 1989 (c. 41, SIF 20), s. 108(7), Sch.15 (with Sch. 14 paras. 1(1) and 27(4)); S.I. 1991/828, art. 3(2)

10. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F12E+W

Textual Amendments

11—13.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F13E+W

Textual Amendments

Part IIIE+W Mental Nursing Homes, Residential Homes, etc.

14—18.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F14E+W

Textual Amendments

19—21.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F15E+W

Textual Amendments

22. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F16E+W

Textual Amendments

23

(1). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F17

(2). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F18

Textual Amendments

24. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F19E+W

Textual Amendments

Part IVE+W Compulsory Admission to Hospital and Guardianship

25—35.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F20E+W

Textual Amendments

36. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F21E+W

Textual Amendments

37—43.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F22E+W

Textual Amendments

44. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F23E+W

Textual Amendments

45—59.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F24E+W

Textual Amendments

Part VE+W Admission of Patients Concerned in Criminal Proceedings, etc., and Transfer of Patients under Sentence

60. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F25E+W

Textual Amendments

61. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F26E+W

Textual Amendments

62—68.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F27E+W

Textual Amendments

69. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F28E+W

Textual Amendments

70—76.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F29E+W

Textual Amendments

77, 78.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F30E+W

Textual Amendments

79. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F31E+W

Textual Amendments

80. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F32E+W

Textual Amendments

Part VIE+W Removal and Return of Patients within United Kingdom, etc.

81. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F33E+W

Textual Amendments

82—84.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F34E+W

Textual Amendments

85. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F35E+W

Textual Amendments

87. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F36E+W

Textual Amendments

89, 90.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F37E+W

Textual Amendments

91. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F38E+W

Textual Amendments

92—96.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F39E+W

Textual Amendments

Part VIIE+W Special Hospitals

97, 98.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F40E+W

Textual Amendments

99. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F41E+W

Textual Amendments

Part VIIIE+W Management of Property and Affairs of Patients

100—119.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F42E+W

Textual Amendments

120. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F43E+W

Textual Amendments

121. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F44E+W

Textual Amendments

Part IXE+W Miscellaneous and General

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

122—124.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F45E+W

Textual Amendments

OffencesE+W

125, 126.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F46E+W

Textual Amendments

F47127 Amendment of Sexual Offences Act, 1956. E+W

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

F48128Sexual intercourse with patients.E+W

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

129, 130.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F49E+W

Textual Amendments

131Prosecutions by local authorities.E+W

(1)A [F50local social services authority] may institute proceedings for any offence under this Part of this Act, but without prejudice to any provision of this Part of this Act requiring the consent of the Director of Public Prosecutions for the institution of such proceedings.

(2). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F51

Textual Amendments

Miscellaneous provisionsU.K.

132, 133.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F52E+W

Textual Amendments

134. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F53E+W

Textual Amendments

135—138.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F54E+W

Textual Amendments

139—141. SupplementalE+W

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F55

Textual Amendments

142 Default powers of Minister.E+W

(1)Where the Minister is of opinion, on complaint or otherwise, that a [F56local social services authority] have failed to carry out functions conferred or imposed on the authority by or under this Act or have in carrying out those functions failed to comply with any regulations relating thereto, he may after such inquiry as he thinks fit make an order declaring the authority to be in default.

(2)Subsections (3) to (5) of [F57section 85 of the M7National Health Service Act 1977] (which relates to orders declaring, among others, a local authority to be in default under that Act) shall apply in relation to an order under this section as they apply in relation to an order under that section.

Textual Amendments

Marginal Citations

F58143 Inquiries. E+W

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

144 Expenses.E+W

(1)There shall be defrayed out of moneys provided by Parliament—

(a)any expenses incurred by the Minister or a Secretary of State under this Act;

(b). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F59

(c)any increase attributable to this Act in the sums payable out of moneys provided by Parliament under any other enactment.

(2). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F60

Textual Amendments

145 General provisions as to regulations, orders and rules.E+W+S

(1)Any power of the Minister or the Lord Chancellor to make regulations, orders or rules under this Act shall be exercisable by statutory instrument.

(2). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F61

Textual Amendments

F61Ss. 1–5, 10, 22, 25–35, 37–43, 45–60, 62–68, 70–76, 80, 81, 89, 90, 92–96, 99–119, 121–126, 129, 130, 132, 133, 135–141, 144(1)(b), 145(2), 147, 148, 149(3)–(5), 153, Schs. 1, 3, 5, Sch. 7 Pt. I entry relating to: ss. 48 and 49 of the Fines and Recoveries Act 1983 (c. 74, SIF 98:3), Sch. 7 Part II entries relating to: Polish Resettlement Act 1947 (c. 19), U.S.A. Veterans' Pensions (Administration) Act 1949 (c. 45) repealed by Mental Health Act 1983 (c. 20, SIF 85), Sch. 6

146. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F62E+W

Textual Amendments

147, 148.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F63E+W

Textual Amendments

149 Minor and consequential amendments and repeals.E+W

(1)The enactments described in the first column of the Seventh Schedule to this Act shall have effect subject to the amendments specified in the second column of that Schedule, being minor amendments and amendments consequential on the foregoing provisions of this Act.

(2). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F64

(3)—(5).. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F65

Textual Amendments

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C3The text of s. 149(1) is in the form in which it was originally enacted: it was not reproduced in Statutes in Force and does not reflect any amendments or repeals which may have been made prior to 1.2.1991.

150 Application to Scotland.U.K.

The following provisions of this Act shall extend to Scotland, that is to say—

  • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F66

  • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F67

  • section one hundred and forty-five so far as applicable to any Order in Council extending to Scotland;

  • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F67

  • Part II of the Seventh Schedule;

  • Part II of the Eighth Schedule;

but except as aforesaid, and except so far as it relates to the interpretation or commencement of the said provisions, this Act shall not extend to Scotland.

Textual Amendments

151. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F68E+W

Textual Amendments

152 Application to Northern Ireland.E+W

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F69, this Act shall not extend to Northern Ireland.

Textual Amendments

153. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F70E+W

Textual Amendments

154 Short title and application to Scilly Isles.E+W

(1)This Act may be cited as the Mental Health Act 1959.

(2)[F71Section 130(4) of the M8National Health Service Act 1977] (which provides for the extension of that Act to the Isles of Scilly) shall have effect as if the references to that Act included references to this Act.

Textual Amendments

F71Words substituted by National Health Service Act 1977 (c. 49), s. 129. Sch. 15 para. 34

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

Marginal Citations

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