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which could be used to forward drug abuse control, particularly in areas of illicit production, e.g. through improved use of land, water and human resources.
Administrative responsibilities within the U.K.
4. le a matter of information it was explained that the Home Office represented H.M.G.'s interest on drug abuse not only within the U.K. but abroad.
5. The money which was paid to the U.N., however, cams from a Foreign Office vote, which indicated the close co-operation batween the various Ministries and Departments which had an interest in control of drug abuse.
6. An Advisory Committee on Drug Dependence, serviced by the Home Office, and including representatives of the major interests concerned with problems of drug abuse, had been instrumental in advising on the form and content of the Misuse of Drugs Act of 1971. This law was designed to consolidate within a single legiala- tive instrument all matters dealing with the control of drug abuse.
7. A statutory body, the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, had been set up under the provisions of this Act. Its task was to review the situation and to recommend legislative and non-legislative measures to deal with problems which arose. The Home Office was responsible for the administration of this Council which operated with a number of Sub-Committees, the Secretariats of which were again provided in the main from the Home Office,
8. The Advisory Council not only gathered relevant information from all sources, but reported on their findings to the Ministers responsible for home affairs, health and education in the U.K. and Northern Ireland.
9. The Home Office itself had responsibility for the overview of national law enforcement while the Home Office Drugs Branch was responsible for co-ordination of drug abuse control policy. The Drugs Branch serviced the Advisory Council and kept an eye on the operation of the Act. It also serviced the Committes of officials supplementary to the Advisory Council. This was composed of officers representing all related disciplines including Health, Education, Home Affairs, Customs and Excise, Foreign Affairs, Prisons, the Welsh, Scottish and Northern Ireland offices, etc..
Enforcement policy: National
10. In the enforcement field it was unlikely that any single national agency would be developed to deal with druga, Concentration would be on maintaining and developing liaison between the various Police Forces in this as in other fields.
Demand: National
11. Mr. Train provided a copy of a paper ACMD/49 of June 1974 covering the "Misuse of Drugs in the United Kingdom in 1973" and a copy of a Press Notice of 25 October 1974 covering 1973 Statistics of Drug Addiction and Drug Offences in the United Kingdom, and spoke about these papers.
12. Generally, the policy of H.M.G., in response to public opinion which remained concerned but not hysterical, was to maintain the problems of drug abuso within the U.K. at a low profile. This had so far been successful. The "Pro-pot" lobby
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