46. Mr. Gresham Cookeasked the Secretary of State for Defence what study he proposes to make of the results of the Barbados Oceanographic and Meteorological Experiment; and what assistance is being given by the Meteorological Office to the project with a view to gaining an understanding of the global atmosphere as a basis for predicting the weather two weeks in advance.
§ Mr. ReynoldsThe Meteorological Office is not taking part in this largely American experiment. The results, and those of similar experiments in which the Office will participate, will contribute to our research into the general circulation of the atmosphere.
Mr. Gresham CookeIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the Americans are putting a tremendous effort into this work and have come to the conclusion that the 452 Windward Islands and Barbados may be the centre of the atmospheric circulation of the Northern Hemisphere? Would it not be as well if the Met. Office took part in this experiment, or helped?
§ Mr. ReynoldsWe shall be doing similar work in other parts of the North Atlantic with other European countries in the next two years or so. We shall receive full reports of the American experiment in the Barbados area, as other countries will receive reports of our work. We shall learn much more from those reports than we should from sending one man as an observer with a large number of American ships spread over a large area of sea.