Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003

31 Assistance from Health Boards and others

(1) Where it appears to a local authority that the assistance of a Health Board, a Special Health Board or a National Health Service trust—

(a) is necessary to enable the authority to perform any of their duties under section 25 or 26 of this Act; or

(b) would help the authority to perform any of those duties,

the authority may request the Health Board, Special Health Board or National Health Service trust to co-operate by providing the assistance specified in the request.

(2) A Health Board, a Special Health Board or a National Health Service trust receiving a request under subsection (1) above shall, if complying with the request—

(a) would be compatible with the discharge of its own functions (whether under any enactment or otherwise); and

(b) would not prejudice unduly the discharge by it of any of those functions,

comply with the request.

(3) This section is without prejudice to section 21 of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 (c. 36) (which enables a local authority to require assistance from a Health Board, a National Health Service trust or others in the exercise of the authority’s functions under Part II of that Act).