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Ericsson cuts and moves to Coventry |
| Hi all - This is mainly to let you know the bad news about Ericsson in Beeston. First, before I forget, I omitted the time for the eat'n'debate event on anti-social behaviour at the Yod Thai in Beeston on Sunday - it's 12.30. 1. Ericsson announcement Ericsson announced last July that they were planning to cut back their Beeston presence, and they've now gone the whole hog and said they will end their lease later this year, in order to merge into a new R&D centre that they're completing in Ansty, by Coventry. As part of a global cost-cutting exercise, they are laying off 147 staff in the coming months; the remaining 168 will be offered places in Coventry. I've quizzed them about details and got a few points that may be helpful: - They are consulting the union and individual staff over the next three months. - If not all the 168 staff take up the Coventry offer (as is likely), they're open to discussing with those who've been made redundant whether they could take up the opening. - They say there is some prospect of jobs elsewhere in the Ericsson group, possibly abroad (though since it's a global cutback I'm a bit sceptical) - They'd not yet engaged with HSBC, who own the site, about the exact date to terminate the lease. It's obviously bad news for all those affected, who face either looking for new work or at best being uprooted to Coventry. I've asked for a meeting as soon as possible with HSBC to get an update on their progress in attracting high-tech firms to the site, potentially offering the right type of job for the staff affected. They successfully got ATOS-Origin and I know were hopeful of getting more, though the delay in getting Nottingham flood protection was a problem for potential planning permission. I'm also seeing the Environment Agency on April 1 to try to push for a good outcome on the flood protection aspect. I'll keep you posted. 2. Abortion and stem cell research A number of you have written about the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill, which will come to the Commons in a few weeks' time. Campaigns assosiated with several religious groups have been urging amendments in various areas, and I wanted to give some early indication of my thinking and invite comment. Some key issues: Abortion: David Steel, who pioneered the current Abortion Act, has called for a review of the 24-week term limit, on the basis that it was set as the earliest time that the foetus was likely to survive outside the womb; with scientific advance this might now be earlier. Conversely, Evan Harris, who has campaigned on a pro-choice basis, is proposing amendments removing some of the hurdles nowe involved in abortion - he proposes that only one doctor should sign the form, not two, and that nurses could assist an abortion at home instead of requiring a clinic visit. Stem cell therapy: scientists have been doing research using stem cells, taken from embryos at a very early stage - the research must by law stop before the embryo reaches 15 days. Some of this research involves mixing human and animal tissue, on the grounds that human eggs are in short supply and needed for fertility treatment. Scientists believe that the research could lead to major breakthroughs in genetic disorders; critics note that no such breakthroughs have yet occurred. Identification of the father in IVF procedures: it is already legal for gay women couples to have a child via IVF. The law would allow them to register as the legal parents: campaigners argue that the sperm donor should be registered as the father. Some thoughts on these points: it is argued by many who believe in the soul that human life is essentially fully-formed from conception and abortion is therefore killing a human being (some even take this to the point of opposing contraception, because it prevents a potential human being). With all respect due to those who believe this, I don't feel we can legislate on the basis of the belief, and in any case I think that a ban on abortion would take us back to the horrors of large numbers of illegal abortions in dangerously poor conditions. Moreover, when the embryo is only a week old, it is essentially a small clump of cells with no nervous system, not obviously different from a fingernail (which also contains fully-fledged DNA). So I'm instinctively relaxed about stem cell research, especially if it will reduce the need for research with fully-sentient animals. On the other hand, I'm suspicious of the human tendency to underestimate the capacity of others to feel pain and emotion, so the older the foetus becomes, the more uneasy I feel about abortion. I understand that research suggests that the foetus can start to feel pain from 20 weeks, and if the original basis for the 24-week limit has changed I'm open to persuasion that we should look at it again. If we were to reopen the abortion issue in this way, I'd also want to look at the Harris amendments - if someone does have an abortion I don't see any reason to make it needlessly unpleasant and difficult, and allowing it to be done at home seems to me defensible. But part of me feels that it's undesirable to unpick the issue since the current compromise has survived for a long time. As for the IVF issue, can any of you advise me about the current situation? If X donates sperm used in IVF for a single woman who is not gay, is X's name on the birth certificate as the father? If so, isn't it amazing that anyone is willing to do it, and be recorded as the father of a child with a woman he's never met? If not, how would it differ in the case of a gay couple - indeed, how would the agency know if the mother had a gay partner or not? I'm sorry to be ignorant on this very basic point, but I try to be honest with people and I realise I don't fully understand this issue yet. As usual, feedback welcome, ideally with the "no need to reply" note. This is an issue where feelings run very high, and I'd appreciate it if you would use persuasion rather than the "how dare you even consider voting differently from my opinion?" line of argument which is popping up in some of the correspondence. I think these are difficult issues and I'm just trying to work my way to the right answers, I hope with your help. Best wishes Nick
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