Yes, Chris' post is very telling because another bit it says is:
You have the right:
not to be unfairly dismissed (after one year�s service)
to a written statement of reasons for the dismissal (after one year�s service)
to statutory redundancy payments (after two years' service)
to a minimum notice period of your contract ending before the agreed end date, task or event
The minimum notice period you are entitled to is:
after one month�s continuous service, but less than two years: one week�s notice
after two years continuous employment: two weeks� notice if you have been continuously employed for two years
Now if you think about it, those are EXACTLY the same rights that a permanent employee has. In other words, companies that believe that fixed-term contracts get them off the hook in terms of unfair dismissal (after 12 months service) and redundancy rights (after 2 years service) are barking up the wrong tree.