Health Minister Nelson Bascome says Government may have to step in and take over drug services after a year of closures.

And it will do so under a new National Drugs Commission head after Mr. Bascome confirmed that present chairman Malcolm Butterfield has been axed.

The Minister condemned drugs charity funders the Council Partners Charitable Trust (CPCT) for sleeping on the job.

Mr. Bascome spoke out after women's rehabilitation centre Fair Haven nearly shut its doors before a last minute reprieve this week.

He also cited the closure of Island drug retreat Camp Spirit for eight months last year and problems at counselling group Focus which shut temporarily and is now being bailed out with Government funds.

Asked why he was blaming the Council Partners for all the problems Mr. Bascome said: "We have to recognise that the CPCT is an umbrella organisation - it falls within their gambit. They have Fair Havens, Focus, CADR and Pride.

"The problem is the CPCT is in some way deficient. They have not even come out and said why these programmes are not running.

"They have governance of those organisations. The NDC is a quango which sets policy and provides for the running of those programmes.

"We have had to step in and pay Focus' back rent and back salaries which have not been paid for quite a while."

He said Government would talk with CPCT Chairman Henry Smith when he returned to the Island.

"I need to sit down and find out exactly what the Council Partners have on tap for their programmes," Mr. Bascome said.

He admitted the CPCT was keen on improving drug programmes but it didn't mean it should stop those programmes while they were being revamped.

Asked if it meant that Government would have to take over the running of programmes directly rather than let them continue with independent boards, Mr. Bascome agreed.

He said: "I think when I meet with Mr. Smith that's probably the solution we will come up with. That's one of the things Government will have to look at."

He said Government could not sit by and watch the CPCT executive let its programmes run into trouble and then bail them out.

"If we see difficulties in running programmes we will move to look at taking their programmes and providing their services."

However Mr. Bascome admitted Government had no power to take over privately run programmes and he said he didn't want to set up rival programmes.

He said: "We want to ensure we have a system in place where everyone can work together."

He said the new National Drugs Commission Chairman would be urged to use their full powers to sort out problems in drugs services.

Mr. Bascome denied Mr. Butterfield was being sacked and said the successor is set to be named on Friday.

He said: "All boards have people who come to the end of their terms."

However he admitted the Minister could re-appoint people. The new chairman will have to choose a new chief executive officer for the National Drug Commission (NDC) which is currently being guided by acting CEO Dr. Don Philip after Cristina Wineinger resigned last summer.

Last year the trouble-hit Government quango, which has a $6 million annual budget, was branded a white elephant when it was revealed it employed just three secretaries because of so many resignations.

In an interview with The Royal Gazette earlier this week, before news of his departure broke, Mr. Butterfield said: "We advertised back in October for a new CEO and we will be going through the interview process in January."

Mr. Butterfield was unapologetic about announcing Camp Spirit would be open 12 months a year, only for the AME church to say it will continue to have the Darrell's Island site from the June for the summer, just as it has for the last 30 years.

He said: "I have no doubt in my mind we will resolve this before June. The main thing was to open Camp Spirit."

He said Government was helping him in the search for a new island location.

"I can't be specific because I don't know the names of all the other islands but I was made to understand if we had to move there are a few other facilities off the mainland that will be made available to us."

In October The Royal Gazette reported that the NDC faced losing the financial backing of the charity funders the Council Partners Charitable Trust because of staffing gaps, poor performance at the Bermuda Assessment and Referral Clinic (BARC), lack of action in accrediting agencies and the lack of a National Drug Plan.

Mr. Butterfield admitted BARC must do better but pointed out it was improving with time as staff were trained.

"It's one of the youngest parts of the system so it needs a lot of handholding and planning and fixing to get it right. But we will achieve that and get a better result from BARC in 2003."

He said a new national drug plan, governing policy for the next five years, would be unveiled this year.

He said the document, which updated one produced three or four years ago, was with Health Minister Nelson Bascome, and would put the emphasis on drug treatment.

Mr. Butterfield said prevention schemes were flourishing as could be seen with the success of youth anti-drug group PRIDE.

"Treatment on the other hand when you look at the challenges we have been faced with in 2002, speaks for themselves with Camp Spirit, Fair Haven and Focus.

"We have to do a lot more work in terms of planning and implementing Island-wide a much better treatment programme."

However the NDC has been without a treatment coordinator for months after John Scott left last year.