Letters: The Government is wrong to abandon plans for mental health reform

SIR – The omission from the King’s Speech (report, November 8) of an immediate reform of the Mental Health Act 1983 is a national disgrace.

Every three years the World Health Organisation updates its Mental Health Atlas, which collects information from its member states around the world. In the European region, of the 45 countries that reported, only a tiny number have not updated their key mental health policies since 2007. One of these is the United Kingdom.

The 1983 Act did not “seek in any way to overturn the principles of the 1959 Act”, in the words of Norman Fowler, then health secretary. In fact, it differs very little from the 1959 Mental Health Act, which itself repealed the Lunacy and Mental Treatment Acts 1890 to 1930. This means that there has been just one major reform of mental health provision in this country in the past 133 years.

By any measure of a civilised society, that is shameful.

Andrew Colley
Little Bradley, Suffolk

SIR – Nick Gutteridge (report, November 8) accurately described the Government’s plans for the coming year as “thin”.

As a lifelong Conservative voter, I was hoping the King’s Speech would be an opportunity to boost our slim chances of keeping Labour out of Number 10. Sadly, however, I can see no measures that will persuade voters to stick with a tired administration, which seems to lack the courage to initiate any form of plan for growth.

Regrettably, this is the beginning of the end for Club Rishi.

Alan Ferguson
Hadleigh, Suffolk

SIR – The obsessive references in the King’s Speech to net zero are proof that this Government’s priorities are a million miles away from those of the electorate.

The public wants cheap, reliable electricity, however it is generated. We know the air over Britain is largely unpolluted and that we are already close to net zero. Stubbornly forcing the British people and our industries to be grossly overcharged for energy use is madness.

John Pritchard
Ingatestone, Essex

SIR – The late Queen may have ushered in 1,400 Acts (Leading Article, November 8), but did we need them all? 
It could be healthy to have a short agenda for the new Parliament. A review of what we have might also be a good idea. Perhaps we can then ensure we have legislation that is fit for purpose and actually addresses faults in our society and its government.

Jonathan Williams
Pickworth, Lincolnshire

SIR – Why did the King’s Speech refer to “the war in Ukraine”, which implies a civil war or even that Ukraine is to blame, rather than Putin’s war or Russian aggression?

John Birkett
St Andrews, Fife

The UN in Gaza

SIR – Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, quite rightly expresses his concern over the daily deaths of Palestinian civilians in Gaza.

Yet the UN fails to advance any viable solution to the conflict. We know that if Israel simply agrees to a ceasefire then Hamas will regroup, and attack the people of Israel again and again.

Surely the United Nations should be proposing to send an international peacekeeping force into Gaza to avoid the need for Israel to occupy the territory; to protect the people living there; and to prevent Hamas from conducting further terrorist atrocities. Mr Guterres may well argue that such an initiative would be thwarted by certain members of the Security Council (Russia and possibly China), but at least it would be better than his virtuous hand-wringing.

John Twitchen
Leigh-on-Sea, Essex

SIR – If Sir Keir Starmer holds firm and continues to reject a ceasefire in Gaza while Hamas continues to hold hostages (report, November 7), Labour might actually be electable.

Brian Hoffmann
York

SIR – When Hamas decided to invade Israel, it knew that there would be a massive response which would result in the deaths of Palestinians – innocent men, women and children. By adding appalling levels of brutality, including the butchering of babies, it ensured that response would be devastating.

We have now seen its effect on the Palestinian population, while the so-called men of Hamas hide in their tunnels.

Yes, there should be worldwide demonstrations by those sympathetic to Palestinians, but they would be much better directed against the evil that is Hamas.

Alastair Mutch
Kendal, Lancashire 

SIR – Being a respectful country, we allow all religions to celebrate their holy and special days, and even teach about them in our schools, so I expect the same respect for Armistice Day: no demonstrations and no disruption of our peaceful remembrance of those who made the ultimate sacrifice so that we may all live freely and enjoy those religious freedoms. 

Tim Davies
Lampeter, Cardiganshire 

Nightingale closures

SIR – There seems to have been no mention at the Covid Inquiry of any investigation into the excellent Nightingale Hospitals which were opened specifically for Covid cases in order to prevent the spread of infection. The public needs to know who authorised them and also who ordered their closure soon afterwards – and why.

Dr TG Hudson
London SW1 

SIR – As a British-born resident of Sweden I am grateful to Dr Anders Tegnell for managing the pandemic appropriately (Letters, November 4). He is also the only one who has been man enough to admit mistakes were made. 

Janice Luby
Kil, Värmland County, Sweden

Too close to home

SIR – Now that so many of us are working from home, it seems the only option is to have an affair with your wife or partner (report, November 6), which is slightly restrictive

George Bastin
Woodchester, Gloucestershire

Forced to sleep rough

SIR – The Home Secretary Suella Braverman’s comment that “many rough sleepers have made a lifestyle choice” (report, November 7) shows once again how out of touch and insensitive our Government is. With the parlous state of social services and mental health support, sleeping rough is not a choice; it is because there is no other option. 

The sterling work charities carry out can only scratch the surface of a huge problem. No one in 21st-century Britain should have to live this way. 

As Remembrance Sunday approaches, we remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice. Many who have served since find that they have no option but to sleep on our streets. 

Stephen Howey
Woodford Green, Essex 

Smart surveillance

SIR – If Morgan-Jones wishes not to be overheard, I fear he will need to turn off his smartphone as well as his Alexa device (Letters, November 7). 

I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve been offered advice on products after a conversation that has obviously been picked up by my smartphone. Indeed, on a couple of occasions it has actually attempted to “join in” with the conversation.

This is despite it being in standby mode with the virtual assistant disabled.

Adrian Waller
Woodsetts, South Yorkshire

SIR – We don’t have an Alexa, partly for the reason that I don’t like the thought that we are being listened to. 

Nevertheless, on more than one occasion, my husband and I have been discussing a subject or potential purchase, only to find later that an advertisement for that self-same thing has popped up on Facebook or as a suggestion on Amazon. 

I’m seriously beginning to think our walls have ears.

Sandra Crawley
Shanklin, Isle of Wight

Needless revs

SIR – Dawdling along behind a car that could only do 20mph in a 30mph area forced me to drop down from fourth to third gear (Letters, November 5), in order to prevent the engine from stalling. 

This means more engine revs per given distance and more pollution from fossil-fuelled engines. Air quality can scarcely be said to be improved. 

Leslie Dale
Hethersett, Norfolk

An abundance of alternatives to scarce sloes

SIR – Elizabeth Brimmell (Letters, November 3) laments the lack of sloes this autumn, particularly compared with the mass of hawthorn berries.

Nature is arbitrary in providing abundance. While sloes were thin on the ground, the grape harvest this year was prolific, and quince and damson trees groaned with fruit. 

Damsons are a fine substitute for sloes when making gin, and, having been stored in the freezer prior to immersion, produce a wonderful, consoling alternative.

Virginia Coates
Overton, Hampshire

SIR – The absence of sloes this year is due to fact that blackthorn flowers early and spring was too cold for pollinating insects. Hawthorn, however, flowers later in the year and was well-pollinated, hence the supply of hawthorn berries.

Jonathan Carr
Shrewsbury

Why the National Trust could restore Clandon

SIR – Clandon Park House’s marble hall is the most controversial room of modern times. 

Martin Drury, a former director general of the National Trust (Letters, November 3), argues that the way the fire burned is relevant to the building’s potential for restoration. It isn’t. More than enough of the interior detail survives to restore the walls in full. 

Mr Drury suggests that large surviving pieces of plasterwork are needed to reinstate the ceiling. One could equally argue that these would get in the way of the freehand stuccowork required. A conservation architect would find reinstatement straightforward.

The National Trust is privileged to exhibit the marble hall for the nation, but not as a delicate wraith or an overwhelming Modernist construct.

Jeffrey Haworth
National Trust historic buildings representative, 1981-2002
Malvern, Worcestershire

SIR – The interior of Clandon – and in particular the marble hall – could be recreated: the necessary skills and knowledge are available. The National Trust does not deny this. Its refusal to restore the interior properly appears to be based on the argument that little of the original 18th-century material survives to be incorporated. This is not a consistent position, as the proposed restoration of the external walls will inevitably contain 21st-century materials and craftsmanship.

The marble hall is an outstanding design, Giacomo Leoni’s most important work. As with all architectural design, it can only be fully enjoyed and understood when actually built. A 21st-century marble hall will have infinitely greater cultural significance than bare, ruined walls.

Russell Taylor
Conservation architect
London SE1

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