Section one Context year and of 25.9% over 10 years. The number of short-term detention certificates completed rose by 5% from the previous year to 4,371, and has increased by 34.1% over a 10-year period. Over the 10-year period in Scotland there has also been a 23% increase in the prevalence of longer-term compulsory treatment orders.43 In Northern Ireland, the number of compulsory admissions under the Mental Health (NI) Order 1986 decreased by 3.6% between 2015–16 and 2016–17, to 1,031 admissions in 2016–17.44 The use of deprivation of liberty safeguards (DoLS), which are used in England and Wales pursuant to the Mental Capacity Act 2005, continued to increase. In 2015–16, 195,840 DoLS applications were reported as having been made in England, the highest figure since their use was introduced in 2009. Over 40% of these applications had not been signed off by the end of 2015–16.45 The CQC reported that the backlog of DoLS applications in England continued into 2016–17.46 In Wales, the number of applications in 2015–16 rose to 12,298, an increase of over 15% on the previous year. Councils and health boards failed to process 74% of urgent applications within the seven-day timeframe, with two councils failing to meet the timescale for any urgent application.47 Political context, legislative and policy developments A UK-wide referendum on membership of the European Union was held on 23 June 2016, resulting in a majority vote in favour of leaving the EU. Soon after the referendum the Prime Minister, David Cameron, resigned and was replaced by Theresa May on 13 July 2016. This led to the formation of a largely new government, with Secretary of State for Justice Michael Gove replaced by Liz Truss on 14 July 2016. Elections to devolved parliaments were held in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland on 5 May 2016. The Northern Ireland Executive has been unable to form a government since the resignation of the deputy First Minister on 9 January 2017, and political parties did not meet the 27 March 2017 deadline to form a coalition. Secretary of State Liz Truss initially announced her intention to deliver the Conservative party manifesto pledge to replace the Human Rights Act with a ‘British Bill of Rights’, but in February 2017 announced that the government would delay any such Bill until after Brexit. The intention to introduce a presumption to derogate from the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) in future overseas military operations 43. Mental Welfare Commission Scotland, 2017, Statistical Monitoring: Mental Health Act monitoring report 2016–17, http://www.mwcscot.org.uk/media/387603/mental_health_act_monitoring_report_2016-17.pdf [accessed 11/10/17]. 44. Department of Health, 2017, Mental health and learning disability inpatients 2016/17, https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/ publications/mental-health-and-learning-disability-inpatients-201617 [accessed 10/09/2017]. 45. NHS Digital, 2016, Mental Capacity Act (2005) Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (England), http://content.digital.nhs.uk/ catalogue/PUB21814/dols-eng-1516-rep.pdf [accessed 23/08/17]. 46. Care Quality Commission, 2017, The state of health care and adult social care in England 2016/17, https://www.cqc.org. uk/sites/default/files/20171010_stateofcare1617_report.pdf [accessed 10/10/2017]. 47. Health Inspectorate Wales, 2017, Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards: Annual Monitoring Report for Health and Social Care 2015–16, http://cssiw.org.uk/docs/cssiw/report/170504dols1516en.pdf [accessed 23/08/17]. 21