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Civil Aviation Authority (Meteorological Services)

Volume 25: debated on Friday 18 June 1982

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asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish details of the MacFarland formula used to calculate the charges to the Civil Aviation Authority for the research element in meteorological services relevant to civil aviation.

In 1978 Sir George MacFarlane examined the Meteorological Office research programme in consultation with the Royal Air Force, Civil Aviation Authority and the office. He arrived at an index reflecting the value of the programme to the services and products provided for aviation and further apportioned this as between military and civil interests. He concluded that the Civil Aviation Authority should be charged 21 per cent. of the cost of the programme annually. This compares with the 25–27 per cent. that would be charged if research was regarded as part of general overheads.