FruityBud
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Three more members of the Governments advisory panel resigned today after Alan Johnson, the Home Secretary, failed to persuade them to stay after his sacking of David Nutt as its chairman, The Times has learnt.
A source close to the Advisory Committee on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) named the three advisers as Simon Campbell, Ian Ragan and John Marsden. Two other members of the committee, Les King and Marion Walker, resigned last weekend in protest at the Home Secretarys dismissal of Professor Nutt for questioning government policy on the classification of Ecstasy and cannabis.
Mr Johnson and Professor John Beddington, the Government Chief Scientific Adviser, met the remaining members of the ACMD this afternoon to discuss its concerns about the sacking, but were unable to persuade the three members not to resign.
The ACMD and the Home Office nevertheless issued a joint statement describing the discussions as very constructive,
The Home Secretary emphasised the value he placed on ACMDs advice, the important contribution the ACMD had made to government drugs policy in the past and how he expected it to continue do so in the future, it said. "The ACMD summarised their concerns regarding how their advice is received by the Home Office and over the dismissal of Professor Nutt.
The discussions were very constructive and it was agreed that the ACMD would continue discussions with the Home Office and Government Chief Scientific Advisors in establishing a way to work collaboratively together into the future with the common purpose of reducing drug-related harms in the UK.
hxxp://tinyurl.com/ydxe5wj
A source close to the Advisory Committee on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) named the three advisers as Simon Campbell, Ian Ragan and John Marsden. Two other members of the committee, Les King and Marion Walker, resigned last weekend in protest at the Home Secretarys dismissal of Professor Nutt for questioning government policy on the classification of Ecstasy and cannabis.
Mr Johnson and Professor John Beddington, the Government Chief Scientific Adviser, met the remaining members of the ACMD this afternoon to discuss its concerns about the sacking, but were unable to persuade the three members not to resign.
The ACMD and the Home Office nevertheless issued a joint statement describing the discussions as very constructive,
The Home Secretary emphasised the value he placed on ACMDs advice, the important contribution the ACMD had made to government drugs policy in the past and how he expected it to continue do so in the future, it said. "The ACMD summarised their concerns regarding how their advice is received by the Home Office and over the dismissal of Professor Nutt.
The discussions were very constructive and it was agreed that the ACMD would continue discussions with the Home Office and Government Chief Scientific Advisors in establishing a way to work collaboratively together into the future with the common purpose of reducing drug-related harms in the UK.
hxxp://tinyurl.com/ydxe5wj