Staff at the National Drug Commission will become public servants when the NDC is amalgamated into the Health Ministry this year.

However, while Government Senators on Friday swore that the move to absorb the NDC in no way diminishes Government's fight against drugs, the Opposition remained sceptical, noting that from the beginning, experts had stipulated the NDC be independent of Government.

Government Sen. Walter Roban said the move was a deliberate one by the Ministry in support of the Health Council and a co-ordinated public health system.

The NDC's function as a fund-raising agency for drug addiction and treatment organisations is easily transferred into the Ministry, he said. In the meantime, a new advisory body has been proposed to take the place of the NDC once the National Drug Commission Act is repealed in Parliament sometime this year. That body will take over the NDC's old role of an adviser to the Health Minister in the war against drugs.

A NDC website is also up and running, Sen. Roban said, though he did not give the website's address. The NDC is continuing to work with the Communities that Care programme and the Bermuda Assessment and Referral Centre (BARC).

But Opposition Senate Leader Kim Swan remained concerned about the NDC's amalgamation.

With the NDC operating as a quango, he said the public had the benefit of annual reports on the fund-raising body's activities. The NDC also had a certain level of autonomy and independence when it stood separate from Government.

After being absorbed into the Ministry which is far and away the largest in Government, however, Sen. Swan said he was concerned the NDC will become lost in the shuffle.

Opposition Sen. Bob Richards added that when the original report was done which called for the creation of the NDC, experts at the time made the "specific recommendation" that the NDC be a separate organisation from Government. "Why are the experts not being listened to?" he asked.

However Sen. Roban said the current CEO of the NDC ? Dr. Don Philip, who was present in the Senate chamber during the debate ? remained responsible for carrying out the NDC's mandate, and reiterated that current staff will remain in place.

He repeated that the NDC provides funding for drug treatment agencies, and does not provide treatment itself.