Lord Winstanleyasked Her Majesty's Government:
What is the present cost to public funds of weather forecasting services and whether they consider that this expenditure is cost effective.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Armed Forces (Lord Trefgarne)The net cost of the Meteorological Office in 1984–85 on a fully cost accounted basis, after taking into account receipts from repayment services, is expected to be £48 million. The breakdown of estimated costs to Defence Votes as between services to defence, the public and industry is shown in theStatement on Defence Estimates 1985, Volume 2, Table 7.7. The United Kingdom is an acknowledged world leader in the science of meteorology while at the same time producing services at one of the lowest per capita costs in the developed world. The Government are satisfied that the expenditure is cost effective. But we are seeking ways of increasing commercial revenues.