To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the Met Office Review Group continues to meet. (319152)

The Met Office Review Group continues to meet on a regular basis.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when his Department last met the Shareholder Executive to discuss the future of the Met Office; and when he expects the next such meeting to take place. (319153)

MOD officials met with the shareholder executive and discussed the future of the Met Office on 23 February 2010. MOD officials and the shareholder executive meet on a regular basis to discuss the future of the Met Office.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will meet representatives from the private weather sector to discuss the future of the Met Office. (319154)

The Secretary of State for Defence has no current plans to meet representatives from the private weather sector to discuss the future of the Met Office. However, Shareholder Executive officials have met private sector weather companies as part of the Met Office Operational Efficiency Programme review.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has made a recent estimate of the contribution of the private weather sector to the economy. (319155)

The Secretary of State for Defence has not made a recent estimate of the contribution of the private weather sector to the economy.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what business models the Met Office Review Group is considering for the Met Office. (319156)

The recommendations of the Operational Efficiency Programme Asset Portfolio Document published in December 2009 outlined that the Met Office should pursue a range of value enhancing opportunities in terms of commercial business growth, improvement to its business model and efficiency through cross-government collaboration. There remains an option in the medium term that status should be kept under review as conditions and opportunities change.