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Science centre staff face axe as funds cut

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Published Date: 04 July 2008
By Alastair Dalton
MORE than a quarter of staff at Glasgow Science Centre are to lose their jobs in a funding cut by the Scottish Government.
A total of 28 full-time jobs will go in the third round of cuts to hit the Clydeside attraction, which marks its seventh birthday tomorrow.

Mohammad Sarwar, the Glasgow Central Labour MP, yesterday said it was "outrageous" that Scottish ministers
had "presided over these enormous cuts".

Officials said 11 staff were expected to go "in the immediate future", with others to follow among the 107 full-time and 24 part-time workers.

Kirk Ramsay, the centre's chief executive, said the move was a direct consequence of a 40 per cent cut in core funding.

The centre received £1.7 million in the year to March, but this is being reduced over the next three years and will fall to £1.08 million by 2010-11. In previous redundancies, 18 staff left in 2004 and 15 in 2002.

The centre, in Govan, attracts 480,000 visitors a year.

Mr Ramsay said: "It is with deep sadness that Glasgow Science Centre announces the loss of up to 28 jobs.

"The centre is now undergoing a major review of operations. There can be no doubt that this announcement marks a very sad day for Glasgow and for the talented and promising staff who have worked tirelessly to promote science and now face an uncertain future."

Detailed talks are now taking place, involving individual members of staff and unions.

Mr Sarwar said: "The SNP should be ashamed of the way the staff at this great facility are being treated due to their slash-and-burn approach.

"This is a very short-sighted and unwise decision. The proposed job loses make this a terribly worrying time for the families of staff."

The MP raised fears at Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday that cuts at the centre would threaten its future viability.

Pete Wishart, the SNP Westminster culture spokesman, retorted at the time: "Instead of welcoming this new funding, Mohammad Sarwar has just embarrassed himself with this pointless scaremongering."

However, Gordon Brown said: "It's unfortunate in Glasgow that as a result of the SNP, funding has been cut and they will live to regret that."

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said it planned to bring in a "fairer and more sustainable funding package" for science centres, based on visitor numbers.

Ministers propose a new funding programme, providing £7.6 million over three years to be shared between the four centres – Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee.

The spokeswoman added that Glasgow Science Centre would receive approximately half of the cash.

She said: "The running of the business of Glasgow Science Centre is ultimately a matter for its board."

The centre has suffered a series of setbacks since opening in 2001, including the closure of its observation tower for several years because of faults.



Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 03 July 2008 11:51 PM
  • Source: The Scotsman
  • Location: Edinburgh
 
1

Abel Magwitch,

04/07/2008 00:58:11
The danger is that in a few short years the Science Centre will go the same way as the late lamented "Big Idea" at Irvine.

Glasgow has been a cradle of science and industry and it could be again, if enough bright young people could be interested and inspired. That is one of the main aims of the Science Centre.
2

jett,

aden 04/07/2008 01:27:06
2many people on planet, it is time for more wars or disease, if not a mega famine that no race will recover from and many other creatures will become extinct.
3

jett,

aden 04/07/2008 01:27:53
so lets not get romantic about life until there will be plenty to go round for less.
4

Gdgy,

dundy 04/07/2008 08:17:09
Poor coverage by the Hootsmon...Glasgow Science cnetre will get cuts but the others like sensation in dundee will get a fairer and guaranteed slice of funding...
5

Calvinist,

04/07/2008 09:32:44
This is another example of Scotland’s shame. We have now ‘progressed’ from being one of the best educated countries in the world, particularly in Science and Engineering which were the backbones of Scottish enterprise, to, as a recent poll showed, one of the most Scientifically illiterate countries in the western world. We have produced some of the worlds greatest Scientists such as Clerk Maxwell, Kelvin, Napier, Black, Hutton, Lyell, Lister, Bell, etc etc. This is our true heritage not the quasi-militarist grievance myths that one reads in these blogs. The £250,000 offered by the Scottish Government will do nothing to alleviate this problem. They give with on hand and take away with another. All true Scottish patriots should rise up and complain about this.
6

hertscot,

04/07/2008 11:20:21
#5 You wrote,

All true Scottish patriots should rise up and complain about this.

You should have added that the Scottish Government should hang it's head in shame, science and engineering are more part of our shared heritage than tartan toys and shortbread.
7

druidh,

edinburgh 04/07/2008 12:24:06
4 science centres across Scotland, and after this cut, Glasgow still gets half of the (increased) funding.
8

Abel Magwitch,

04/07/2008 12:57:47
Right on, Nos.5 and 6. The cynic might add that while those Scots patriots are rising up and complaining, the Scots scientists and engineers will rise up and go to countries where their abilities are used and appreciated!

In the meantime the bright kids who might have gone into science/engineering are ambitious to become media stars or professional footballers.
9

Fairfax,

04/07/2008 17:37:17
Calvinist (5): "We have produced some of the worlds greatest Scientists such as Clerk Maxwell, Kelvin, Napier, Black, Hutton, Lyell, Lister, Bell, etc etc."

Scotland has much to be proud of. Lister, however, was an English surgeon working in Glasgow. If he counts as Scottish, then would you also argue that Fleming, a Scot working in London, was an English scientist?
10

Calvinist,

04/07/2008 18:02:59
#9 So what?

Maxwell spent most of his working life in Cambridge. He was sacked by Aberdeen. Kelvin was born in Ireland. Science is international not parochial; something that adherents to small pieces of geography will never understand.
11

Fairfax,

04/07/2008 18:16:37
Calvinist (10): "Maxwell spent most of his working life in Cambridge."

He did, and we're very proud of him here. Would you then mind if we described him as an English mathematical physicist?

"Science is international not parochial; something that adherents to small pieces of geography will never understand. "

As a mathematician, I applaud your view that science is strongly international. However, it is also strongly linked to national pride, and rightly so. Since your earlier post praises Scottish science, I can only assume you agree.

12

Calvinist,

04/07/2008 21:37:04
I'm sorry I'm not in the business of splitting hairs or point scoring. Regardless of the national origins of Lister, Kelvin etc., the point I was making is that there was a tradition of science, engineering and medicine here which fostered these individuals and enabled them to become great scientists. If you note my words carefully, I did not claim that all these individuals were all native born Scots but they certainly benefited one way or another from our emphasis on scientific education which has sadly all but gone. Lister, as you know was assistant to a master surgeon in Edinburgh before he came to Glasgow and this is where he learnt his art. So please accept my general point and do not fly of at tangents!
13

Liberal for life,

Dunblane 05/07/2008 08:30:28
This is a damned disgrace. For a country/nation whose future as a developed economy will have to rely ever more heavily on new and innovative ideas. The very last thing we can afford to do is cut back on anything that might help stimulate the next generation of scientists and engineers.

If the government of this country does not recognise this fact then heaven help us in 10-20 years.
14

john z,

edinburgh 08/07/2008 12:13:13
What utter rubbish. People posting here should get the facts instead of stupidly swallowing Labour spin.

The funding for the four science centres in Scotland was reviewed, and it was found that Glasgow was getting a dis proportionately large share. As it stands, the Glasgow centre will still get nearly half the entire Scottish Science centre budget.

As for Mr Sarwar raising this in the London Parliament, he and the London prime minister both knew, it was nothing to do with either of them, as the funding is determined by the Scottish Government.

I think this is being used in a very mis leading way to try to paint the Scottish Government in a bad light, whereas in reality, they have actually ensured fairer funding for all four science centres, and not just for Glasgow.

It's not a damned disgrace, just a political piece of mischief by some liars in Labour. Get the facts, not the spin.


 

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