MLA North West announces Flagship Economic Valuation Project
20 March 2006
Bolton’s Museum, Library and Archive Services – An Economic Valuation is a groundbreaking survey utilising the Contingent Valuation method to access the consumer surplus attributable to the authorities, museum’s libraries and archive’s services. In other words this method estimates the willingness of people to pay for specific services and quantifies it.
The project builds upon the major study in 2003 conducted at the British Library using the same methodology and involved a close partnership between Bolton MBC and MLA North West. Jura consultants were commissioned by the partners to undertake the survey which resulted in the following key findings:
Bolton’s Museum, Library and Archives Services were valued by users and non users at £10.4 million
This means that for every £1 of public funding the services receive they generate £1.60 of value for the Bolton economy
The majority of the value comes from the direct benefit enjoyed by users of Bolton’s Museums, Libraries and Archives
Non users value the Museums, Libraries and Archives at £3 million
Therefore Bolton residents clearly value their museums libraries and archives and this demonstrates the critical role that cultural services play in people’s lives.
The Contingent Valuation technique can be applied to local authority services and a toolkit for the methodology is included in the main report for the authorities to use
For further information please contact Jon Finch, Head of Policy:
T: 01925 625061
E:
