Valuing river characteristics using combined site choice and participation travel cost models.

This paper presents new welfare measures for marginal changes in river quality in selected English rivers. The river quality indicators used include chemical, biological and habitat-level attributes. Economic values for recreational use of three types of river-upland, lowland and chalk-are presented. A survey of anglers was carried out and using these data, two travel cost models were estimated, one to predict the numbers of trips and the other to predict angling site choice. These models were then linked to estimate the welfare associated with marginal changes in river quality using the participation levels as estimated in the trip prediction model. The model results showed that higher flow rates, biological quality and nutrient pollution levels affect site choice and influence the likelihood of a fishing trip. Consumer surplus values per trip for a 10% change in river attributes range from pound 0.04 to pound 3.93 ( pound 2001) depending on the attribute.

The valuation of health impacts in developing countries

Valuing the health impacts in money terms can provide an important aid to the decision-maker in setting priorities for investments that improve the quality of life. In many developing countries, however, a shortage of data often make the estimation of these impacts not practicable in the time available. This paper, after providing the conceptual basis for these valuations, discusses how data and functions from other sources can be transferred to the site and country in question with specific examples for developing countries.

The social costs of tobacco smoking.

This article is concerned with establishing a methodology for the measurement of the social cost of tobacco consumption, and with using that methodology to estimate the relative quantitative importance of each of the identified components of social cost. It begins by defining social cost and explaining its relevance to policy making. The next section derives a matrix of items that need to be calculated if the social cost is to be correctly measured. The third section surveys the existing empirical literature on the social costs of tobacco consumption in the light of the methodology derived in this paper. In general it concludes that most measures of 'social cost' are incorrect. However, some interesting numbers do emerge from the studies and these are highlighted. Finally, the last section discusses the policy relevance of actual and potential measures of social cost and concludes with some general observations on the direction of future research in this field.

Headship rates and the household formation process in Great Britain.

"This paper looks at the changes in headship rates in Great Britain over the period 1960-1979, and attempts to explain them in terms of economic variables, such as real income and the real cost of housing. Such variables are found to be significant for some household types, but not for others. Notably, young single person household formation appears to be more supply constrained and to respond to appropriate supply variables." Furthermore, "some comparisons are made with similar studies done on similar data from the USA and France. These studies reveal a number of features in common, but also some differences, and these are commented upon."