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'Cash crisis' for science centres | 'Cash crisis' for science centres |
(about 2 hours later) | |
Science education centres around the UK face serious financial threats and some have already closed, MPs have warned. | Science education centres around the UK face serious financial threats and some have already closed, MPs have warned. |
The science and technology select committee wants the government to give centres at risk short-term funding. | |
Two of the centres which were funded by the Millennium Commission - Doncaster's Earth Centre and Ayrshire's Big Idea - have already closed, its report says. | Two of the centres which were funded by the Millennium Commission - Doncaster's Earth Centre and Ayrshire's Big Idea - have already closed, its report says. |
The loss of such centres is a threat to science education, it says. Ministers say they will respond "in due course". | The loss of such centres is a threat to science education, it says. Ministers say they will respond "in due course". |
The report, the Funding of Science and Discovery Centres, says that these centres make a valuable contribution to the public's engagement with science - but there are serious financial problems. | The report, the Funding of Science and Discovery Centres, says that these centres make a valuable contribution to the public's engagement with science - but there are serious financial problems. |
Tax changes | Tax changes |
After initial funding, these centres are unable to pay for themselves - and the report says that without a change in their financial support, they will be closed before their value has been properly assessed. | After initial funding, these centres are unable to pay for themselves - and the report says that without a change in their financial support, they will be closed before their value has been properly assessed. |
The Eden Project is an example of a successful science centre, say MPs | The Eden Project is an example of a successful science centre, say MPs |
The Earth Centre and Big Idea have both closed and another, At-Bristol, has had to close two of its three attractions and has made 45 staff redundant. | |
The report says the government should not be obliged to fund loss-making centres on a regular basis, but as a short-term measure it should make cash available. | The report says the government should not be obliged to fund loss-making centres on a regular basis, but as a short-term measure it should make cash available. |
It also recommends that "steps are taken to reduce the tax burden on science and other educational centres". | It also recommends that "steps are taken to reduce the tax burden on science and other educational centres". |
The report says that the science centre concept has been around for about 20 years - representing a place for people to explore science often in an interactive setting. | The report says that the science centre concept has been around for about 20 years - representing a place for people to explore science often in an interactive setting. |
The biggest injection of funding came in the form of £450m for 18 centres from the Millennium Commission. | The biggest injection of funding came in the form of £450m for 18 centres from the Millennium Commission. |
But the report says that in terms of earning revenue, science centres - apart from examples such as the Eden Project in Cornwall - have struggled to raise more than 80% of their running costs. | But the report says that in terms of earning revenue, science centres - apart from examples such as the Eden Project in Cornwall - have struggled to raise more than 80% of their running costs. |
This leaves them with a recurrent funding problem, says the MPs' report, which proposes they should be given a reduced rate of VAT - and it urges the government to consider supporting science centres in the way it subsidises museums. | This leaves them with a recurrent funding problem, says the MPs' report, which proposes they should be given a reduced rate of VAT - and it urges the government to consider supporting science centres in the way it subsidises museums. |
A Department for Innovation, Universities and Science spokesman said that the government is "keen to encourage young people and the broader community to get involved with science". | A Department for Innovation, Universities and Science spokesman said that the government is "keen to encourage young people and the broader community to get involved with science". |
He said they would respond to the report more fully "in due course". | He said they would respond to the report more fully "in due course". |
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