8. Plaid Cymru Debate: Mental Health Services

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 6:02 pm on 4 March 2020.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Angela Burns Angela Burns Conservative 6:02, 4 March 2020

Thank you very much, acting Deputy Presiding Officer. I am going to talk at speed, because I have a lot to say on this subject and I've only got three minutes. First of all, I'm not going to let you get away with your cheeky little comment there, Rhun ap Iorwerth. You know that these benches care a lot about this, because I have been very vocal on this subject, and I'm very glad that the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee are going to be looking at this very subject.

The reason why we have tabled our amendment is because, actually, we've done enough work to be able to drill down on some of the detail that we need here, Minister. But before I start on that particular element of the amendment, I just want to recount something to everyone in the Chamber. Literally, two months ago, I went to visit one of my constituents in a medium-secure unit in England. It is one that has got some serious Care Quality Commission black marks against it, and whether or not it is good or bad, I can tell you now that, as another human being walking into a medium-secure unit, my heart almost failed me. It is grim. I've also visited prisons. Where would I rather be—a prison or a medium-secure unit? I'd rather be in a prison. If you're in a prison you get to do things. If you're in a prison, you're allowed access to people. If you're in a prison, it's easy to see your family and your friends in specialised waiting rooms. If you're in a prison, above all, you know when you're going to leave. It may be three months, three years, 30 years, but you have an end goal. You don't have any of that optimism, any of that aspiration, any of that certainty when you're in a medium-secure prison. And when you're in a medium-secure prison that's 200 miles away from your family, then the heartbreak is multiplied, because it is very difficult to maintain communications.

One of the things that gets thrown around a lot is that, as soon as you're in one of those kinds of places—and don't forget, if you have mental health issues and you're in a medium-secure unit, you are very often with people who are there through the Ministry of Justice system, and that's a tough call. I saw some tough activity going on. I would not like to be there.