To: Members of Council and Members of the Atlas Computer Committee
I thought you would like to have a copy of the SRC circular which is being issued today to explain to the staff the decisions taken by Council at its April meeting. The circular will probably be on the staff notice boards on Monday, 5 May.
Since the specialist computing press showed interest in the regrouping proposals when they were announced last year we thought it would be advisable to issue a short press statement on the regrouping. I also enclose a copy of this statement which is simply a condensation of the staff notice. We propose to issue the press statement on the afternoon of Tuesday, 6 May, so that the first occasion on which there might be any reference to the matter in the papers should be Wednesday, 7 May.
R ST J WALKER
1. At its meeting on 16 April; after extensive consultation with the various interests concerned, including Staff Side, the Council took a number of decisions about the regrouping of activities in Establishments.
2. Support for High Energy Physics will be concentrated at the Rutherford Laboratory. Work at the Daresbury Laboratory in preparation for CERN experiments which are already approved, such as the e γ and muon programmes, will continue there, but work in support of all new proposals will be the responsibility of Rutherford Laboratory. Any HEP work undertaken at Daresbury after the end of 1978 (ie one year after the closure of NINA) will be carried out only at the request of and under the policy direction of the Director of the Rutherford Laboratory. Computing in support of High Energy Physics will also be concentrated progressively at the Rutherford Laboratory. The consequences of this decision for the staff at Daresbury are being examined both locally and in London Office.
3. A substantial part of the computing now carried out at the Atlas Computer Laboratory to advance a wide range of sciences will be transferred to the Daresbury Laboratory where it will support a growing variety of work outside the field of high energy physics. The transfer will begin in 1976 and will take several years to complete.
4. The Council have decided to set up the Interactive Computing Facility recommended by the Engineering Board. The part of the Atlas Computer Laboratory remaining at Chilton will form the base for the new facility. The Council are also considering with the Department of Industry the establishment at Chilton of a national computing campus to which the interactive facility would be the initial SRC contribution. A further announcement will be made later.
5. After the retirement of Dr Howlett later this year, Dr Stafford will become Site Director, responsible for all the Council's activities at Chilton. A new Division Head will be appointed to be responsible to Dr Stafford for the activities of the Atlas Computer Laboratory remaining on the site.
6. The Council have set up a committee under the Chairman of Council, consisting of representatives of each Board and of the Laboratories concerned and the Director, Administration, to supervise and co-ordinate the implementation of the decision for the regrouping of computing and to ensure the preparation of a concerted plan for the development and procurement of the facilities that will be needed over the next five years.
7. The specific plans for redeployment of staff will be worked out progressively in consultation with the staff and trade union sides. Information will be given about these plans as soon as possible and, in accordance with the normal SRC practice, staff affected will be given good notice of any changes. Subject to the over-riding needs of the work, it is the intention that wherever possible every effort will be made to ensure that any necessary movement of staff will be made on a voluntary basis and full account will be taken of the personal circumstances of the staff involved.
The Science Research Council has, after consultation with all parties concerned, including its Staff Side, taken a number of decisions about the regrouping of activities in its Establishments.
Support for High Energy Physics will be concentrated at the Rutherford Laboratory. Work at the Daresbury Laboratory in preparation for CERN experiments which are already approved, such as the e γ and muon programmes, will continue there, but work in support of all new proposals will be the responsibility of Rutherford Laboratory. Any HEP work undertaken at Daresbury after the end of 1978 (ie one year after the closure of NINA) will be carried out only at the request of and under the policy direction of, the Director of the Rutherford Laboratory.
A substantial part of the computing now carried out at the Atlas Computer Laboratory to advance a wide range of sciences will be transferred to the Daresbury Laboratory where it will support a growing variety of work. The transfer will begin in 1976 and take several years to complete.
The Council has decided to set up an Interactive Computing Facility and that part of the Atlas Computer Laboratory remaining at Chilton will form the basis of it. The Council are also considering with the Department of Industry the establishment at Chilton of a national computing campus to which the interactive facility would be the initial SRC contribution. A further announcement will be made later.
Specific plans for redeployment of staff will be worked out progressively in consultation with the staff and trade union sides.
