Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (Hansard, 21 May 1981)

§ Mr. Cook

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the terms of reference of the expert scientific group established by the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs; who are the members of the group and what are their qualifications for undertaking these terms of reference; who is responsible for their appointment; how often the group holds its meetings; when the advisory council may expect a report from the group; what individuals or representatives of what groups and organisations have been invited to submit evidence to the group; what scientific experts from other countries have been invited to submit evidence to the group; what scientific experts from the United Kingdom who are not members of the group have been invited to give evidence to the group; and whether the reports of the group will be published.

§ Mr. Raison

An expert group was established in March 1980 by the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugsto assist the council in its consideration of the implications, for future official policy on the use of cannabis and cannabis resin, of the current scientific evidence of the effects of such use".

The following were appointed by the Council to constitute the group: Professor J. D. P. Graham, MD, DSc, FRCP (Edin), FRFF'S, FRSE: Chairman—former Professor of Pharmacology, University of Wales, Member of the Advisory Council. Mr. J. Bloomfield, OBE, FPS, FBOA, JP—retail pharmacist, member of the Advisory Council. Professor W. I. Cranston, MA, MD, MB. ChB. FRCP—Professor of Medicine, St. Thomas' Hospital. Professor J. A. N. Corsellis, MRCS, LRCP, FRCPaTH, FRCPsych—former Professor of Neoropathology, Institute of Psychiatry. Professor Griffith Edwards, MA, DM, DPM, FRCPPsych—Consultant Psychiatrist, member of Advisory Council. Dr. B. Hunt, MSc, MB, ChB—Department of Health and Social Security. Professor G. P. McNicol, MD, PhD—Professor of Medicine. University of Leeds, member of Advisory Council.^* Professor Sir William Paton, CBE, MA, DM, FRS, FRCP—Professor of Pharmacology, University of Oxford. Dr. B. C. Saunders, CBE, DSc, FRIC, FRCPath—Emeritus Fellow, Magdalene College, Cambridge, member of Advisory Council.^* Professor P. Turner, MD, BSc, FRCP—Professor of Clinical Pharmacology, St. Bartholomew's Hospital. ^* The terms of office on the Council of Professor McNichol and Dr. Saunders have expired, but Professor McNichol remains a member of the Group.

The conduct of the group's work is a matter for the group itself and for the advisory council, but I understand that its method of working has been for individual members to make extensive studies, in their areas of expertise, of published results of research in this and other countries; these studies are being examined by the group as a whole, which has held three meetings so far.

125W

I understand also that the group's report is likely to be completed towards the end of this year. It will then be for the advisory council to decide what advice it wishes to offer in the light of the group's report. That advice, together with any supporting documents submitted by the council, will be published.