Examination of Witnesses (Questions 1140-1141)
PROFESSOR SIR
GORDON CONWAY
KCMG, PROFESSOR PAUL
WILES AND
PROFESSOR FRANK
KELLY
7 JUNE 2006
Q1140 Bob Spink: In terms of the
classification of magic mushrooms as class A on the one hand and
on the other hand crystal methylthioamphetamine as a class B drug
when crystal meth is a highly addictive, very dangerous killer
drug makes crack cocaine look like a Hershey bar according to
the chief of New York police, do you believe that it is time to
review fundamentally the structure of the ACMD?
Professor Wiles: Can I first of
all comment on the crystal meth point?
Q1141 Chairman: I think we would
like you to put that answer to us in writing. I would like to
say thank you very much indeed. This is the last oral evidence
session for our inquiry and we would be very grateful if you could
very briefly give me one thing we should put in our report, just
one single thing which would make the biggest difference in terms
of the way the Government handles scientific evidence.
Professor Wiles: Make sure that
professional skills for government as they develop have clearly
within it an insistence on a process and a framework for taking
evidence into account.
Professor Sir Gordon Conway: I
would buy that. I think that is right. I think it is about processes
and about the procedures you adopt, and getting those clearer
within departments is important.
Professor Kelly: Anything you
could think of that could encourage openness. It is not a blanket
thing, there are all sorts of subtleties about it, but openness
is what helps get the quality up.
Chairman: Professor Frank Kelly, Professor
Gordon Conway and Professor Paul Wiles, thank you very, very much
indeed for an interesting session.
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