What is point of Quangos?

Advisory Quangos are specialists, who not from the elected ranks, that advise and guide the government to shape public policy.

If the government have already made their decision, then what's the point of having these advisers in the first place? Alan Johnson has scored an own goal by sacking Professor Nutt from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD). He was sacked because he did not stick to the government line.

It is a disgrace that the government has the audacity to sack an expert because his views based on scientific evidence are not in line with the government. In July, David Nutt gave a lecture on drug harms and the current legislation. He does not agree with the class rankings for cannabis and Ecstasy.

The appropriate response from the government would have been to engage in critical debate to ascertain the suitable class for the drugs in question. These advisory boards are specialists, who are better informed than politicians - not a group of raving lunatics.

I feel the principle of quangos has been fatally undermined. These boards are there to help make the right decisions that are not politically motivated. It seems as if they are only wanted if they agree with the current government policy. A waste of time and money.