A drug-busting group has not had its budget slashed by the National Drug Commission (NDC), Health and Social Services Minister Nelson Bascome has insisted.

And he said the Council for Alcohol and Drug Abuse (CADA) had its funding from the NDC boosted by 104 percent over the last year -- from $62,000 to $127,000.

But he admitted the NDC had only forked out for two out of three programmes CADA wanted to run.

Mr. Bascome spoke out after CADA executive director Dominique Smith announced she was to quit her job due to a 30 percent cut in funding.

She said she would leave CADA -- which is funded by the NDC and the Council Partners Charitable Trust (CPCT) -- rather than cut programmes or axe staff to make savings.

But Mr. Bascome told the House of Assembly on Friday: "Reports have suggested that the NDC is responsible for those cuts. This could not be further from the truth.

"I welcome this opportunity to clarify the role of the NDC in this matter.

Rather than cut the budget of CADA, the NDC has indeed more than doubled its allocation to the agency.'' Mr. Bascome said last year's figure of $62,000 was used to fund the Prevention Resource Centre (PRC), with $45,000 going to the Bermuda Responsible Alcohol Sales and Services Programme (BRASS) and an additional $20,000 for general administration expenses.

But he added: "CADA applied for funding for three programmes. The NDC chose not to fund two of the three requested programmes, agreeing not to fund CADA's Community Development Programme.

"The NDC came to this decision, as CADA's chairman has stated, because they have required CADA to show evidence of success in the two programmes currently funded before providing additional funding for a third programme.

"This effort to require accountability for the use of public funds, in our opinion, is prudent fiscal management. We fully support it.'' Mr. Bascome said: "The NDC believes that the funded programmes, the PRC and BRASS, are critical components of the national strategy to reduce harms associated with the use of alcohol and other drugs.

"The NDC wishes CADA well as it reorganises itself to continue to deliver quality substance abuse prevention services to our community.''