HC Deb 03 April 1946 vol 421 cc1241-3
30. Air-Commodore Harvey

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air what steps are being taken to improve the meteorological service.

Mr. Strachey

We regard the development of a British meteorological service of the very highest quality as a vital national interest. The Royal Air Force will be only one of the users of such a service. Civil aviation, the maritime services, and agriculture will all become increasingly important users. Accordingly, our meteorology will be built up as a centralised, national service with a basically civilian status, fully capable of serving all its customers. We shall recruit permanent staff of high quality to this national meteorological service, offering the pay and conditions laid down in the recommendations of the recent Report an the Scientific Civil Service.

Air-Commodore Harvey

Will the hon. Gentleman represent that this matter be treated as urgent? Will he also represent that the employees should be better paid and given better treatment than they have been in the past? There is much dissatisfaction with the service. Only last weekend the meteorological service said it would rain today.

Mr. Strachey

I fully agree that the conditions of service have not been satisfactory, and the conditions of service recommended in the Report on the Scientific Civil Service do represent a very substantial improvement.

Mr. Walkden

In emphasising the urgency of this matter, may I ask the hon. Gentleman whether he will recognise that anyone using air services today in Britain does so almost at his peril? Was not a. very high officer in this House lost half way round the North of England a few days ago and causing grave anxiety for him as well as for his relatives, due to the absence of such a service?

Mr. Strachey

I could not possibly admit that there was an absence of meteorological service. On the contrary, I recently attended a world meteorological conference, and world opinion is that our service is one of the best in the world.

Wing-Commander Millington

Will the hon. Gentleman bear in mind that the main reason for the need for reorganisation in this service is the bad state of the demobilisation of men in this trade in the Royal Air Force at the moment, and that as soon as something is done along the lines suggested in the hon. Gentleman's first answer, the sooner can the men who are being delayed get out of the Service?

Mr. Strachey

That is one of the most important reasons. I shall be making an announcement on that matter in answer to another Question.

Mr. Speaker

We have already spent nearly three-quarters of an hour at Questions and have reached only the thirtieth Question, thanks to the number of supplementaries, especially the very long ones.

41. Commander Maitland

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether he has considered the letter sent by the chief meteorological officer B.A.F.O. to all meteorological personnel in B.A.F.O., details of which have been sent him; whether this letter was sent with his authority; and whether he will take steps to see that officers and men of the meteorological service are fully aware of the Government's policy in this matter.

Mr. Strachey

Yes, Sir. I have seen a copy of this letter which was, no doubt, intended to explain why the rate of release for officer and airmen meteorologists was behind the general rate. I will take this opportunity to announce that we have now found it possible to improve very considerably the release programme for officer and airmen meteorologists. By the end of June we now propose to reach Group 32 for the officers, instead of Group 27, or in some cases Group 25, and Group 37 for the airmen, instead of Group 31. These revised figures are now being published to the Service, and full details will be given in our Demobforms which go to all units.