§ MR. FETHERSTONHAUGH (Fermanagh, N.)To ask the hon. Member for South Somerset, as representing the President of the Board of Agriculture, if the Ordnance maps of the recent survey printed by the cheaper process of zinc or stone plates on soft-surfaced paper are sold to the public at the same prices as the maps of former surveys produced by the more expensive process of printing from copper plates on hard-surfaced paper; is he aware that, owing to the running of ink and colours on the new soft-surfaced paper, the maps are much less convenient for use for the chief purpose for which the public require them, namely, to colour and write on for use in the Land Commission; and will he take steps to reduce the cost of the soft-surfaced maps.
(Answered by Sir Edward Strachey.) The 6-inch maps printed from zinc or stone are sold at the same price as those printed from copper plates. There is no difficulty in applying ink and colours to the paper on which these maps are printed in the condition in which they are issued, and in view of the cost entailed in the preparation of these maps no reduction in their price can be made.