"Until there is greater clarity on the commission's purpose, therefore, it is difficult to see what value it is going to add over the next year and at a time when the UK system is already under close scrutiny.

"The last thing British sport needs as we build up to Beijing 2008 and London 2012 is distraction, confusion about roles and duplication of effort."

High on the agenda for the BOA commission is to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of introducing legislation on doping in sport before the 2012 Olympics, including whether criminal charges need to be an additional sanction.

Commenting on its launch, BOA chairman Colin Moynihan said: "This is one of the highest powered commissions ever established in the UK.

"As the host Olympic nation in 2012 collectively we, the Government and its agencies have a duty to be a world leading country in the fight against doping."

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