New Mental Health Powers Sought 

Madeleine Moon, the MP for Bridgend, has today called on the Welsh Assembly Government to ensure that funding is found for Bridgend, in order that it can implement its local suicide prevention strategy. The call comes as an Assembly Member is to make the first attempt by a backbench politician to gain new powers for the institution. Jonathan Roberts AM is requesting a legislative competence orders (LCO), to gain additional law-making powers for the assembly in mental health. 

Madeleine Moon MP stated: “While additional law making powers may be an aspiration for the Welsh Assembly Government, an immediate priority must be to confirm that they will fund the Bridgend suicide prevention strategy so that we can begin to tackle the suicide problem and set the example for the development of a national strategy for those other areas of Wales also struggling to cope with needless deaths. England and Scotland have had Suicide Prevention Strategies in place since 2002 which have proved successful. The strategies have been tested by other countries, and expertise has been shared, Wales has fallen behind. It is time for Wales to catch up.”