You may have heard the news headlines this morning about the House of Lords Science & Technology Committee letter to the Science Minister, David Willetts, expressing fears about a brain drain of scientists from the UK to other countries.  

Reasons include people’s growing concern over possible cuts in science funding and what it could mean for their work, but also the attractive packages now being put on the table by other countries such as Australia.  You can find the full text of the letter on BBC New Online here.

It makes for sobering reason not least because of the evidence put forward by the six universities contacted by the Committee.  Whatever the Government might say about wanting to be an international centre for science, my fear is that a combination of the CSR and unhelpful policies such as the cap on non-EU migrants is creating a perception that reality does not match Ministerial statements.