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New Science Centres Require Millions in Annual Subsidies

April 10, 2000

An annual subsidy of £50 - £100 million will be needed to keep the UK's new science centres afloat, suggests John Beetlestone, retired founding Director of Techniquest, in an opinion piece in this month's Science & Public Affairs.

The Millennium Commission and others have recently invested around £1 billion in science centres, such as the £100 million Earth Centre in Doncaster and £110 million Millennium Point in Birmingham. This expenditure can either be viewed as an overdue remedial measure to enable the UK to catch up with other western countries, or as a recklessly rapid expansion of a vital but under developed part of the UK science communication industry.��

Professor Beetlestone is entirely supportive of the development of science centres in the UK, viewing this as a "once in a lifetime opportunity for consolidating science communication in the UK ... providing locations attractive and unthreatening to visitors of all ages, interests and backgrounds".��His concern is that problems are acknowledged in order to identify courses of action that will secure the centres long-term future as "no science centre pays its way".

Professor Beetlestone's, proposal that the Millennium Commission found a fund to support the new institutions it has sponsored is not reflected in an interview with the Director of the Commission also published in Science & Public Affairs.Mike O'Connor, Commission Director, is also aware of the uncertain financial future of the science centres but considers that they will need to persuade other organisations to provide continuing financial support. He cannot foresee any other lottery body investing in science after the Millennium Commission is gone.

British Association for the Advancement of Science (The BA)

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