CONFIDENTIAL
Our reference: DDA/68 71/4/21
Your reference:
A L Wotton Esq
Romney House, Marsham Street, LONDON S.W.I
Telephone: 01-799 3488, ext. 65
Telex: 24986
7773
NICK 19/3
Hong Kong and Indian Ocean Department
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
29 May 1973
Enter pt.
SW1
88
Dear Wotton
You recently asked for my comments on the pamphlet 'Opium Narcotics', which I am returning, that Professor Turnbull is now said to be updating.
I understand that Professor Turnbull has a research contract from the Home Office on fluorescent techniques for the detection of minute quantities of drugs, for example traces of cannabis in saliva or body cells. Nearly all the work is being done on cannabis; a little on LSD. We have no connection with him on opiates. This contract is rather more than half way through. I understand that he also has a research contract from the Army Pathology Laboratory in Millbank in a similar field.
Professor Turnbull borrows unclassified publications from our library at the Central Research Establishment (this contains Hong Kong police digests) but does not have access to any of our 'intelligence' or confidential data. We believe he mainly uses the library of the Institute of Strategic Studies.
In brief, exchanges between Home Office scientists and Professor Turnbull are in no way concerned with trafficking or narcotics. We are not in any way responsible for his activities in this field, nor are we in a position, with the cont aqt that we do have, to influence his politically motivated activities. As regards the document's contents, the allegations against Communist China are not, so far as we are aware, sub-stantiated by any other evidence either from official United States sources or from intelligence from Hong Kong, and I share the apprehension expressed by a number of your colleagues that a document, obstensibly emanating from official sources, should contain such material. I can see that this could prove embarrassing to HMG and, indeed, to myself (as the United Kingdom representative on the United Nations Ad Hoc Committee for the Far East and as our representative on the Narcotics Commission).
I understand that the proposed revision of the 1972 version of the paper will be for open publication through a firm connected with Mr Geoffrey Stewart-Smith MP.
I do Professor Turnbull is, I believe, an employee of the Ministry of Defence. not know whether they are in a position to discourage Professor Turnbull from associating HMG, by implication, with what appear to be politically motivated views the disclaimer of connection with Home Office and Ministry of Defence
CONFIDENTIAL
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