§ Mr. Spearingasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement concerning the future of the Royal Observatory at Kew, listing those activities, functions and observations that will remain, be undertaken elsewhere, or cease, with particular reference to ground meteorological observations.
§ Mr. PattieI have been asked to reply. The Meteorological Office station at the344W Royal Observatory, Kew will close at the end of this year. The future of the building is a question for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment.
At present a full meteorological observation including surface pressure, temperature, humidity, wind speed and direction is made on an hourly basis between 0600 and 2100 daily. These will stop and in future observations will be made once daily, as part of the United Kingdom voluntary network, under arrangements agreed with the director of the Royal Botanic Gardens.
Other current activities include measurements of atmospheric electricity, evaporation, and soil temperature, and the field testing of operational instruments. The need for these specialist measurements has decreased in recent years and the field testing of instruments will be transferred to other stations.