§ Mr. LawsTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his estimate is of the asset value of the Meterological Office; what the cost in 2003–04 to his Department is of this organisation; and if he will make a statement. [156603]
§ Mr. CaplinThe Met Office operates as a Trading Fund and is self-financing.
The only direct cost of the Met Office to the Ministry of Defence as owner is a cost of capital charge which is made by the Treasury on all assets held by the MOD. The published accounts of the Met Office show that at 31 March 2003 its net assets were £159,498,000.