HC Deb 14 April 1890 vol 343 cc450-1
MR. WEBB (Waterford, W.)

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been drawn to the serious and numerous errors in the Irish Ordnance Survey Maps now being issued, such as for example, sheet 168, inch scale, extensions of Waterford and Limerick Railway opened in 1864 and 1886 not marked; two guide banks, one with lighthouse in River Suir, made 1867 (marked in chart of the river) not marked; about one and a half miles of new road between Waterford and Passage opened in 1855, not marked; Knock-aderry Reservoir made in 1875, not marked; sheet 179, inch scale, embankments, reclaiming land near Tramore made in 1863 or 1864, and one mile of cliff road near Lady's Cove, Tramore made in 1869, not marked; sheet 9 (County Waterford) 6-inch scale, People's Park made about 1855, and new court house built about 1855, not marked; whether the Government are taking- any action to promptly correct these and similar mistakes in other maps; and whether there is any reason why the Government should not revert to the old plan of supplying maps direct from the Survey Office in the Phoenix Park, so as to save the public the heavy expense of a special messenger there when the Dublin agents are out of stock of sheets required by return post?

THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE (Mr. CHAPLIN,) Lincoln, Sleaford

Perhaps I may be allowed to answer the question. The prac- tice of the Ordnance Survey is to insert new railways only on the 1-inch sheets. The insertion of other details, such as new roads, reservoirs, buildings, &c., on the 1-inch and larger scales, forms part of the general revision of the country. The necessity for completing the cadastral survey of these parts of England and Wales which have hitherto had no map on a larger scale than 1-inch to a mile has been so urgent that it has been impossible to devote as much of the Survey Vote as is desirable to the revision of the Irish maps. This year, however, a considerable increase has been sanctioned in the funds available for the survey of Ireland, and it is hoped that the work in that country will proceed more rapidly. With reference to the last paragraph, contracts for the sale of Ordnance Survey maps have been made with three firms to act as sole agents in England, Scotland, and Ireland respectively. The Director of the Survey-is of opinion that the system is not satisfactory, and when a favourable opportunity occurs it will be carefully considered.