Terms of reference

Objectives

  1. To examine, as an independent body, all aspects of the relationship between public policy and the use and abuse of illegal drugs.
  2. In pursuit of the RSA manifesto challenge 'fostering resilient communities', to investigate, among other things, the practical impact of current drugs policy on communities.
  3. To encourage informed discussion among those with a particular interest in policy on the misuse of drugs - legislators, policy-makers, the police, the medical and legal professions, service providers, academics, private companies, educators and the media.
  4. To raise the level of public understanding and debate about public policy on the use and abuse of illegal drugs.

The commission is expected to decide its own mode of working which may include:

  1. determining topics for briefing and research papers to inform its deliberations
  2. publishing briefing papers, research papers and reports as may be thought appropriate
  3. inviting written or oral evidence from individuals and organisations with particular experience of the issues under discussion
  4. convening seminars of experts in the field for discussion of the issues
  5. staging public lectures to promote awareness and debate of the issues under discussion
  6. visiting organisations or individuals affected by public policy on drugs - in the fields, among others, of education, treatment and criminal justice
  7. devising a plan for the dissemination of its findings

Terms of Reference

The commission is asked to:

  1. look for answers to two questions:
    1. if current policy and practice on illegal drugs are not working, why not?
    2. what might be done to improve policy and practice?
  2. publish a report incorporating its answers in the form of recommendations
  3. enter into discussions with interested parties and current stakeholders, including the Government, on how its recommendations might be implemented.

For these purposes, "illegal drugs" is taken to include benzodiazepines and glue and to exclude alcohol and tobacco.

Operation of the Commission

The commission has been established by the RSA as an independent body and is not expected to represent the views of the Trustees or staff of the RSA; nor can it be taken to do so.

The commission has been established as an interdisciplinary and wholly impartial body, and is not expected to represent the views of any one political party or other body.

The commission's internal meetings will be confidential. Meetings held with an audience will be conducted under the Chatham House Rule: the proceedings may be reported, but no statement will be attributed to any individual without their express consent, nor reported if its authorship is obvious even if it remains unattributed.

The commission's research will be conducted ethically. All discussion of the ideas of others will be appropriately referenced. Anyone invited to take part in research undertaken by the commission will be offered confidentiality and anonymity.

The RSA will provide the commission with the resources essential to carrying out its work.

The RSA will provide the Secretariat of the Committee and take responsibility for:

  1. administrative coordination
  2. financial support
  3. commissioning the briefing papers or other research required by the commission
  4. publishing or co-publishing the commission's report
  5. implementing the plan for disseminating the commission's recommendations.

Fostering Resilient Communities

The RSA's Trustees have commissioned this project to address the 'Fostering Resilient Communities' challenge of its manifesto.

www.theRSA.org

This project is supported by the Wates Foundation.