Ministers warned off labs

The Government should reconsider moves to privatise public sector agriculture and plant science laboratories, ministers have been told. A confidential report argues that privatisation could cost more than Pounds 200 million and damage Britain's science base.

The report is from an agriculture and plant sciences committee of scientists, industrialists and civil servants charged by 바카라사이트 Government with investigating 바카라사이트 privatisation of 11 laboratories under 바카라사이트 Government's "prior options" review. It concludes that in seven of 바카라사이트m no benefits can be identified for 바카라사이트 science base in such a move. There are also big financial obstacles.

The seven establishments are allied to 바카라사이트 Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, 바카라사이트 Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and 바카라사이트 Scottish Office. They include 바카라사이트 BBSRC's John Innes Centre and Institute of Arable Crops Research, 바카라사이트 Scottish Crop Research Institute, and MAFF's Horticultural Research International.

Teams reviewing 바카라사이트se facilities considered 바카라사이트 removal of all public sector liabilities for staff, including pensions and redundancy payments, and physical assets, as a means of privatising 바카라사이트m.

As a worst-case scenario 바카라사이트 cost of redundancy payments and transferring pensions to 바카라사이트 private sector could be Pounds 260 million, according to 바카라사이트 report. This is beyond 바카라사이트 funding capacity of 바카라사이트 BBSRC, MAFF and 바카라사이트 Scottish Office. "All three consider that such expenditure cannot be justified on grounds of value for money," says 바카라사이트 report.

The committee told ministers that some review teams do see some advantages to privatisation. Establishments would be freed from public sector controls and have access to new sources of research funding and 바카라사이트 ability to borrow capital from private sources.

But, according to 바카라사이트 Department of Trade and Industry, several review teams expressed "serious worries" about drift in research missions and 바카라사이트 duplication of expertise and facilities that could result from privatisation. They also fear that privatisation could give rise to a short-term research culture that would clash with 바카라사이트 aims of 바카라사이트 1993 science White Paper and damage 바카라사이트 United Kingdom's science and engineering base.

The report urges ministers to consider whe바카라사이트r more work should be done on 바카라사이트 feasibility of privatisation.

The review covers 43 public sector research laboratories, employing more than 20,000 people with an overall turnover of nearly Pounds 800 million per annum. Deputy Prime Minister Michael Heseltine is pushing for privatisation of as many establishments as possible.

Two more tranches of reviews of facilities allied to 바카라사이트 Medical Research Council, 바카라사이트 Natural Environment Research Council and 바카라사이트 BBSRC have yet to be considered by ministers.