Member

The particular problems that the provisions of the Bill present for decisions relating to the capacity of young people with eating disorders will be discussed in future groups. But there is an age-related aspect that we should note here, because we are likely to find that it is impossible to find drafting amendments to capacity provisions that will mitigate or solve the problem. These disorders most commonly begin in the mid to late teens. For those who recover from them—which is, sadly, not all, but many do—recovery typically takes seven to 10 years, so by their mid-20s, most people who are going to recover from anorexia have done so. This simple increase in the minimum age may well be the most pragmatic and effective adjustment to mitigate a serious risk. For all those reasons, I support the amendments in the name of the noble Baroness, Lady Berger.