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Motion made, and Question proposed,
That a Supplementary sum, not exceeding £24,300, be granted to His Majesty, to defray the Charge which will come in course of payment during the Year ending on the 31st day of March. 1920, for the Survey of the United Kingdom and for minor services connected therewith.
Captain BENNI should like to know how much in A, B, C, and D is represented by War gratuities and bonuses.
The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the BOARD of AGRICULTURE (Sir A. Boscawen)The whole of this Vote is due to War gratuities or bonuses and increased rates of pay. There is nothing else in the Excess Vote at all. All these increased rates have been approved by the Government since sanction was given in the original Estimate. Against that there is an increased Appropriation in Aid, which is due to very simple reasons. 761 The Ordnance maps have been sold in much larger numbers than they used to be. We used to sell to an agent, but that was not very successful. We now sell direct ourselves, and the result is that there have been increased sales. In addition to that we have raised the royalty. What used to happen before was this. The Ordnance Survey carry out the whole of the surveying of the country, but various firms were allowed to have the results of our service at very small cost indeed, and in that way they produced a reduced Ordnance Survey map, paying the Government quite an insufficient sum for what they got from us. We have increased the royalty payment, as we are entitled to do, with the result that we are getting a more reasonable sum for the work of the ordnance survey. In addition we have been obliged to increase the price of the maps. We have had to pay more for labour, etc., and in view of that increase it is not unreasonable that there should be an increase in the cost of the maps. Roughly speaking, as regards large scale maps, the price which was formerly 3s. and 1s. has been raised to 5s. and 1s. 6d. If you take the cost of the six-inch sheet, the increase has been to 4s. Taking the small scale maps there has been a very small increase up-to-date of only from 2s. 6d. to 3s. We think this is insufficient, and certain proposals have been made to the Treasury. In future it is proposed that for the one-inch large sheet series, the present charge of 2s. should be 3s. For the half-inch layered, mounted and folded, the present price of 2s. is to be 3s. The quarter-inch, layered or shaded, previously sold at 2s. will be 3s., and the one-inch popular edition, mounted and folded, that used to be 1s. 6d. is to be 2s. 6d. Having regard to the general rise in prices, I do not think the increased charges for the maps are out of proportion; indeed, they are on the low scale. It cannot be said that the public is being precluded from getting maps by the increased prices, because we have sold a great many more maps in the last year than we ever did before. The increased amounts asked for in this Estimate for pay and allowances are entirely due to war gratuities, bonuses, and increases of pay, sanctioned since the original estimate was prepared, and we have a very substantial appropriation in aid to set-off against it.
§ Major MACKENZIE WOODI understood the right hon. Gentleman to say that this Vote represents increases authorised since the original estimate was made. One item represents a bonus authorised by an Army Order of 29th January, 1919. How comes it that that particular bonus, which was authorised over a year ago, appears in a Supplementary Estimate for the first time this year? I should have thought that would have been in time for the last estimate.
Sir A. BOSCAWENI think that bonus did not become effective until a later date; but I will inquire into it.
§ Mr. ROYCEWhat steps have been taken to bring the Ordnance Survey up-to-date in parts of the country where the original survey has been completed?
Sir A. BOSCAWENThese surveys are being revised constantly. We have three companies of the Royal Engineers constantly engaged in revising the surveys, with a certain number of civilian assistants. The value of this training in survey work proved of exceptional service during the War. One of the great objects of the survey has been to train competent surveyors in the Army for military purposes, and as a result of the work done in the survey our Army was better supplied with maps than any other army in the recent War. That was entirely the work of men who have been trained in this survey which is constantly going on.