§ Mr. MansTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what performance targets have been set for the Meteorological Office executive agency for the financial year 1992–93.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonThe agency has been set a range of targets to ensure that it delivers progressive improvements in the quality and efficiency of weather-related services it provides to defence, civil aviation, commercial customers and the general public.
The targets set for the Meteorological Office during the period 1992–93 are to: achieve high standards of quality of 282W service for each of the major groupings of customer; reduce net operating costs to £36.2 million—this being more than a 5 per cent. reduction on the 1991–92 forecast—increase efficiency by 3 per cent. through improvements in quality of service, increased service volumes and reduced unit costs; achieve a 9 per cent. increase in uptake of meteorological services to £16.5 million, as measured by cash revenue generated from commercial services to the public, industry and commerce, excluding CAA; achieve an 11 per cent. increase to £5.9 million in the gross contribution of commercial services invoiced revenue to offsetting core costs and overheads; and provide authoritative advice on climate change issues to Ministers and the general public, in particular to provide the most up-to-date assessment for the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development.
Performance against key targets is published in the Meteorological Office annual report and accounts, a copy of which is placed in the House of Commons Library.