Warnings on Daresbury science jobs sounded 10 months ago

Jan 17 2008 by Ben Schofield, Liverpool Daily Post

March, 2007

“Keith [Mason, STFC chief executive] flagged up the fact that if we were in a position where our medium, or low prior- ity programmes could not be delivered, this would incur redundan- cy, decommissioning [and] non-cash costs for which we had no provision.”

September, 2007

Referring to a “flat cash” settlement – one which gave no real terms increase in funding: “At this level we would have very limited delivery of our objectives and recent investments would be underexploited.

“We could not operate our facilities at more than the 50% level.

“Similarly grants would only be funded at 50% of their historic level.”

November, 2007

“At this stage, the plans come with a significant health warning.

“All of the options being taken forward have the potential for significant programmatic, reputational and political damage.

“Many of the planned actions will require us to make substantial non-cash provision, ie, for redundancies.”

“Our plans are to . . . work with the private sector and the NWDA to develop the Daresbury Science and Innovation Campus primarily as a private sector venture with some core scientific and/or technology expertise retained either within the STFC or transferred into a university or private sector company.”