Thanks but No Thanks

What kind of a government sets up an Advisory Council of eminent people to investigate and advise on the scientific evidence (on drug-taking) and then rejects its advice and sacks its chairman?
UNBELIEVABLE!

New procedural changes will see advice being made public at the same time as it is received by the Home Office. In the past, statements rejecting ACMD advice have been issued within minutes of it becoming public.

If the Home Secretary thinks he is going to reject the advice, he will meet with the ACMD chairman before making a final decision. And if he does reject it, his reasons for doing so will be made clear to the ACMD in writing.

Speaking at a lecture organised by the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies, Prof Nutt the concessions made were "only moderate". "It's the old rearranging deckchairs on the Titanic," he added.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8335189.stm
http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/02/let-scientists-write-drug-laws-says-fired-british-expert/
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn18099-david-nutt-governments-should-get-real-on-drugs.html

Three more drug advisers quit

Nov 11 2009

Three drug advisers have dealt the Government a further blow by resigning from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD). Chemist Simon Campbell, psychologist John Marsden and scientific consultant Ian Ragan stepped down following showdown talks with Home Secretary Alan Johnson on Tuesday. The meeting was held amid the fall-out from the sacking of the Government's chief drugs adviser Professor David Nutt over his controversial remarks about cannabis, Ecstasy and LSD. Two other advisers - Marion Walker and Les King - had already quit the committee