Dame Ruth Runciman says she has been promoting unpopular causes all her life such as Prison Reform, AIDS, mental health and drug abuse. "I suppose I am one of the great and the good, but please do emphasise the good." She chairs the UK Drug Policy Commission which was set up to analyse drug policy in the country and is being funded with a three-year grant from a charity.She was a member of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs which issued a report eight years go which helped to create the climate that led to a reclassification of cannabis and policy now under review. Did she now regret that? She replies "I regret many things but not that. I am totally unrepentant about it." She denies that it gave the green light to cannabis use "The politicians, particularly Jack Straw, totally mishandled it. I have just been rereading the report and I think it is truly excellent." On her birthday she'll be chairing the Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust all day ("not a very whizzy title I'm afraid.") She says "I don't want to be semi retired. If I had nothing to do, I'd be very miserable." Dame Ruth Runciman is 72 today. RGT

Sir John Alliott, High Court judge, 1986-2001, 76; Dame Elizabeth Anson, chairman, Association of District Councils, 1991-93, 77; Joan Baez, folk singer, 67; Baroness Crawley, Labour MEP for Birmingham East, 1984-99, 58; Clive Dunn, actor, 86; Sir Anthony Durant, Conservative MP, 1974-83 and 1983-97, 80; Michael Gifford, chief executive and managing director, Rank Organisation, 1983-96, 72; Father Benedict Green, theologian, 84; Terry Hands, theatre and opera director, 67; David Holbrook, author, 85; Raymond Horrocks, chairman, Austin Rover Group Holdings, 1981-86, 78; Professor Sir Alec Jeffreys, geneticist, 58; Sir Michael Jenkins, Commissioner, the Royal Hospital Chelsea, 72; Simon Swynfen Jervis, director of historic buildings, National Trust, 1995-02, 65; Dr David McKitterick, librarian, Trinity College, Cambridge, 60; Joely Richardson, actress, 43; Dame Ruth Runciman, chairman, Mental Health Act Commission, 1994-98, 72; Vicky Tuck, principal, Cheltenham Ladies' College, 55; Viscount Ullswater, Private Secretary to Princess Margaret, 1998-2002, 66; Geoffrey Wragg, racehorse trainer, 78; Susannah York, actress, 66.