§ 3.3 a.m.
§ Mr. Andrew F. Bennett (Stockport, North)So far only 200 sheets of the 1706 second series of 1:25,000 maps have been published out of 1,400, about one in seven or 13 per cent. They have been published at the rate of about 40 a year and the series will be completed only by the year 2000. Even for areas of the national parks, such as Snowdonia, we shall have to wait until the year 1982 for publication. That is an extremely unsatisfactory position.
The history of these maps goes back to just after the Second World War when it was decided to publish maps at the scale of 2½ inches to the mile, 1:25,000. They have been ideal for educational purposes and for all those interested in outdoor pursuits. The maps were issued as a provisional series and were based on survey work done for larger scale maps, 1:1,250 and 1:2,500 in urban areas and 1:10,560 in rural areas. Some of these maps were surveyed as long ago as 1899.
The sheet that I have here, for Llanarmon DC, in North Wales, says at the bottom:
Last fully revised 1899–1910. Other partial systematic revisions 1947. Major road revision 1969".Yet it is the current map in the series that is now on sale, based on information which in many instances is 70 years old.It was intended soon after the provisional edition had been brought out that it would be replaced by the first series maps. I believe that one trial sheet was issued, but before production could really start a new format was decided upon—the second series. A very slow rate of publication was decided upon. Since, in the early series, much of the Highlands of Scotland was never covered, it was also decided that the Highlands should be given priority in the publication of the new sheets.
During 1972 and 1973 the work of the Ordnance Survey was put under close scrutiny by the previous Government, following consultants' reports. It was suggested also that because of poor sales the whole series should be abandoned. The educational users and all those interested in outdoor pursuits made strong representations to the Government and eventually it was agreed to continue issuing the second series of 1:25,000 maps.
The present position is that the Ordnance Survey still has over 2,000 sheets 1707 of the provisional edition and about 100 of these have been replaced by the new second edition. No further systematic revision of the provisional sheets is taking place, although I believe that major roads are still being added. The maps are becoming more and more rapidly out of date, and in some areas, particularly those recently affected by afforestation, they may become positively dangerous.
Rightly, the Ordnance Survey is reluctant to advertise such maps, although it still has to carry stocks, as do the shops. This is an expensive operation. Only 13 per cent. of the country is covered by the new second series. Again, the Ordnance Survey is reluctant to advertise these since many potential customers who inquire for a map find that it has not yet been published.
The Ordnance Survey thus has difficulty in pushing the old maps and the new ones. As a result, the sales of both are rather disappointing. On the other hand, proof that the public really want maps of this scale has been provided by the publication of the outdoor leisure maps. Pioneered by the Ordnance Survey and the Peak District National Park, an outdoor leisure map was issued in 1972. By Ordnance Survey standards its sales have been dramatic, while everyone I have spoken to connected with this in the national park has been delighted with the results in terms of improving mountain safety, access and so on.
Some more sheets have followed in this series, although unfortunately the other national parks have not been as directly involved. It clearly proves that, given a reasonably up-to-date map covering a reasonably large area—in this case about 20km by 20km—with widespread publicity the demand for this type of map is extremely large. I am sure that if the whole of rural England, Wales and Scotland were covered by the second series, the maps could be sold, covering their costs, or at least the cost of drawing the maps, printing and selling them. I do not claim that they would contribute a great deal to the cost of the survey, but that is being carried out in any event for other purposes. I am convinced that this thoroughly up-to-date map could be a profitable undertaking for the Ordnance Survey.
1708 Why cannot the 1:25,000 second series maps be made available more quickly? There are two problems that arise. Since these maps were derived from others of a larger scale, we have to await the availability of such maps. A new survey of Britain is at present being carried out at scales of 1:1,250 and 1:2,500 for all the urban and semi-rural parts of Britain, and the rest of Britain is being surveyed at 1:10,000. The new survey is supposed to be completed by the year 1980 and will also be kept up to date as the survey proceeds.
Unfortunately, priority in this surveying has been given to the urban areas and to areas which have been requested by local authorities mainly for planning purposes. Unfortunately, too, the 1:25,000 second series maps are of least use in the urban areas and some of the sheets printed so far are therefore of least value. Survey material is not available for some of the areas where it would be most useful. The slow rate of production is mainly due to the second factor that only a small number of people and a small amount of resources are allocated to the second series 1:25,000 maps.
The Ordnance Survey says in its publicity material of the 1:25,000 series
its detailed depiction of the country makes the series invaluable for professional, educational and recreational purposes".In teaching geography it is an exceptionally useful tool which, particularly in schools, also encourages the development of the practical skill of map reading. In walking and climbing it is essential for those who want to find their way easily and safely and it is particularly important for the growing sport of orienteering. It is an ideal map on which footpaths can be shown clearly and, because field boundaries are shown, it is the map from which footpaths can easily be followed to the great advantage of both the walker and the farmer. In mountainous areas, particularly in bad weather, it is the essential map for those who want to follow a particular route and come off the mountains in safety.I admit that in the built-up areas of our large cities the map has very limited uses, although even here some local authorities have used it for overprinting purposes to show leisure facilities. It is extremely useful for educational purposes and for 1709 the land use survey to be overprinted upon.
To be fair, the Ordnance Survey has admitted the problems and frustrations about demand. I think it has also agreed to look into the issues and perhaps to increase very slightly the rate at which it is producing new maps. It has suggested to the map users' conference that it might suggest ways in which it can alter its allocation of resources. But I do not think that this goes far enough.
To sum up the present position, the Ordnance Survey is still selling an out-of-date, inaccurate and dangerous product, and it is being allowed to replace it with a vastly improved, safe product only at a very slow rate. Many of the new maps have been produced for the least useful areas and the Ordnance Survey itself is unhappy about that. It would like Government approval for a slight increase in manpower which would allow it to get on with producing these maps quickly.
I have certain questions to put to the Minister. First, will the Government allow the Ordnance Survey the resources to complete the second series of 1:25,000 maps in the next 10 years and not in the next 25 years as planned. I ask the Government to encourage the Ordnance Survey to complete the survey of the base maps in the national park areas and areas of outstanding natural beauty as quickly as possible and to set a target of publishing maps of these areas by 1980. I ask the Government to accept that the 1:25,000 maps are the ideal way of depicting public rights of way and that such maps should be made more easily available to the public. That is almost as important as signposting these routes.
I ask the Government to continue experiments such as publishing the outdoor leisure map and obtaining sponsors for Ordnance Survey maps. I ask them to recognise that the outdoor leisure maps are important but that they are not the complete answer. It is important that we get the series for the whole of the country and not for a few selected areas.
If we do not get a complete series, people will be going to certain areas for peace and quiet only to find many other people in the same areas.
Finally, I remind the Government that the real expense incurred by the 1710 Ordnance Survey is in making the survey. Once the survey has been made it should be made available to the public. I feel that it is extremely important to have this set of maps published. I hope that my hon. Friend will be able to indicate a major improvement in the proposed timetable.
§ 3.16 a.m.
§ Mr. Nigel Spearing (Newham, South)I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Stockport, North (Mr. Bennett) on initiating this debate. It is the second Adjournment debate that we have had on this subject within a couple of years. I am sorry that the results of the previous debate have not been such as to bring about the position that my hon. Friend would have wished.
I heartily concur with everything my hon. Friend has said about the usefulness of this particular map. It is especially useful for people who do not use it for professional purposes—namely, walkers, orienteerers, sportsmen and school teachers. I have considerable personal knowledge as a teacher. It is the smallest scale on which field boundaries, boundaries of gardens and other small details can be found. It is, therefore, an extremely good map for all sorts of non-professional purposes.
On Report on the Government Trading Funds Bill in 1973 concern was expressed about the whole function of the Ordnance Survey. In another place the Ordnance Survey was deleted from the Bill, although it was pointed out that it could be brought back by affirmative resolution.
The Ordnance Survey was debated again on 24th October 1973 when the Lords amendments came back to the House. On the same day there was an Adjournment debate on the 2½in. scale. In those debates reference was made to the review which had taken place inside the Ordnance Survey. In referring to that review I said:
We do not know the position about the second edition of the 2½ in. map. The basic situation has remained the same. The review is secret."—[Official Report. 24th October 1973; Vol. 861, c. 1436.]I am not necessarily complaining that we have not had the full report made public, but it seems that the complaints which were made at that time are still being 1711 made by the organisations which have made representations to my hon. Friend.In the Adjournment debate of 24th October 1973 the Minister said that it had been decided to continue the 2½in. series and to cover the country fully. As my hon. Friend has said, however, it has been covered in a way that is not satisfactory. That is not surprising since the report was not made public.
I say to my hon. Friend the Minister, who I know has the interests of the Ordnance Survey at heart, that it is a pity we have had to debate this matter for the fourth time in the past few years. The map is an extremely useful one. There has been mention in earlier debates about possible Exchequer help. That was mentioned on 24th October 1973. The Minister said that Exchequer support would continue if necessary and that in coming to a decision the Government would have regard to the nature of the requirements of the private sector as well as those of the public sector.
I hope that the Minister will give some assurance on the updating of this valuable, well-liked and, in many places, very popular series of maps.
§ 3.20 a.m.
§ The Under-Secretary of State for the Environment (Mr. Gordon Oakes)I am glad that both my hon. Friends the Members for Stockport, North (Mr. Bennett) and Newham, South (Mr. Spearing) have raised this question. The publication of Ordnance Survey maps is a subject in which they have both taken great interest. Their views are shared by a large number of map users including conservationists, educationists, outdoor leisure seekers and those who love and enjoy the countryside.
The present publication situation of Ordnance Survey maps at the scale of 1:25,000 is better understood if we look at the history of this series which is in itself of interest. Whereas the 1-in. map and the larger scales, 25 in. and 6 in. in particular, had their origin in the early years of the last century, it was not until 1914 that a need arose for a map of 1:25,000 scale. Production of the map was tailored to War Office requirements and it was not made available to the public until the early 1930s, by which time coverage was still limited to certain areas.
1712 It was the Davidson Committee—an interdepartmental committee under the chairmanship of Viscount Davidson which investigated the Ordnance Survey during the mid–1930s—which in 1938 recommended publication of a complete series of 1:25,000 scale maps to meet not only military but also civilian needs, in particular the needs of education, walking and regional planning.
On the outbreak of the Second World War coverage was extended quickly in response to defence requirements but the resulting map, again tailored to military needs, was of inadequate cartographic standards for a civilian map series. The first 1:25,000 map designed for general use commenced publication shortly after the war and coverage of the country, except for certain areas in Scotland, was completed by 1956. The map was known as the provisional series because it was intended that it should be replaced as soon as possible by a regular series based on new post-war survey. More recently the series has become known as the first series and is now being gradually superseded by entirely new second series mapping as originally intended.
The new second series mapping was designed in the early 1960s and publication commenced during 1965. As soon as the first sheets became available it was decided to cease full revision of the first series in order to devote the maximum available resources to producing the new mapping. Thus, since 1965 the only revision of first series sheets has been of major features the omission of which would seriously impair the usefulness of the sheet. As a result, although four-fifths of Great Britain is still covered by first series sheets, they have naturally become considerably out of date in the last 10 years and during that period it has been possible to publish only 200 sheets of the second series at an average of 20 sheets a year. The great majority of these second series sheets are, however, twice the size of the first series sheets. This change in size of sheet means that while the first series covered the country in 2.000 maps. the second series will need only about 1,400 sheets.
My hon. Friends will recall the announcement in February 1973 by the then Under-Secretary of State of new aims for the Ordnance Survey. This was followed by a number of reviews of 1713 mapping requirements by users of Ordnance Survey maps at various scales which were conducted by means of detailed consultations with the user interests concerned. The 1:25,000 series featured prominently in these consultations and, as a result of evidence from the wide range of interests in both public and private sectors served by this series, the Government decided that national coverage at 1:25,000 scale should continue to be published with a range of information similar to that of the second series.
As a result of further studies within the Ordnance Survey of the map specification and methods of production, it has now been decided to retain the 1:25,000 second series specification in the same form in which it has been published hitherto. Details of this specification, and also of the specification of the first series which it replaces, are given in Chapter 6 of a new book—the Descriptive Manual—which is due to be published by the Ordnance Survey on 1st May. I am sure that both my hon. Friends have read or are about to read that book.
One of the main reasons for raising this matter at present is the current public interest in footpaths that have been legally defined as rights of way. I understand that many people consider that Ordnance Survey maps are the only really convenient way for interested members of the public to find out the existence and exact location of rights of way. This may well be so, and the Department is considering ways in which procedures for the preparation and updating of the definitive maps maintained by county councils could be improved.
Footpaths which are rights of way are clearly marked on 1:25,000 second series maps but not on the first series. Some map users have made representations to the Ordnance Survey for the depiction of rights of way information on first series sheets. I believe that this would be a mistake since, as we are all agreed, the aim should be to complete publication of the second series as soon as possible, and any resources devoted to work on first series sheets would delay the achievement of this aim. It should also be remembered that the Ordnance Survey is currently publishing the new 1:50,000 series of maps which contain all the available up-to-date information on rights of way at a 1714 scale suitable for a wide range of purposes. The first 103 sheets of this series—a mammoth task in itself—were published a year ago and the remaining 101 sheets for the northern half of the country are due early next year.
The constraints in bringing forward publication of the second series are twofold. First, the map is derived from new surveys at 1:10,000 scale and this will not be complete for another 10 years or so. The other constraint is the availability of manpower resources in the Ordnance Survey for this work. Given the first constraint alone, it would take about 15 years to complete coverage of the country with the new maps, an average publication rate of about 75 sheets a year. But the current resources allow for publication of only about 35 sheets a year giving, as my hon. Friend knows, an eventual expected completion date of about the year 2000.
The Ordnance Survey is currently undertaking a study to see whether any economies can be made in production methods for this or any other series to enable this rate to be increased. It is not possible at the present time to increase the total resources available for this work, and any switch of manpower would affect the priorities for the publication of maps at other scales, in particular the large-scale maps and the 1:50,000 series.
At the last series of consultative meetings held by the Ordnance Survey in November 1974, map users were given a full account of the situation and were invited to submit their views on the production programme. The matter will be reviewed at the next meeting this autumn when it is expected that the director-general will report on the results of the study.
In a further effort to help map users the Ordnance Survey intends to continue the publication of the popular new outdoor leisure series maps, seven sheets of which have been published so far. These maps are entirely self-supporting financially and because they make use of existing mapping material the resources required for their publication are fairly limited. Many of the areas selected for these maps are in national parks or other popular walking and outdoor leisure areas. In all cases where it is available, 1715 rights of way information is clearly depicted together with a selection of tourist and other outdoor interest information appropriate to the area.
I should also say a further word about the improvements made by the Ordnance Survey in marketing the 1:25,000 maps. During the past three years, as a result of intensive sales efforts a large number of shops throughout the country have been persuaded to stock the 1: 25,000 series and outdoor leisure maps. Sales during this period totalled 1,572,000 sheets at a gross retail value of £644,000. This represents an increase of 30 per cent. in the volume of sales compared with the previous three years. The marketing of outdoor leisure maps has been particularly successful. Sales since the first sheet was published in 1972 have totalled 93,800 sheets at a gross retail value of £95,000. Despite this success, revenue from sales and from copyright royalties of 1:25,000 mapping as a whole does not cover the costs of production and maintenance. This is mainly because of the exceptionally high cost of producing brand-new mapping which is drawn to the high cartographic standards of the Ordnance Survey. However, every effort is being made, and will continue to be made, towards achieving a situation in which this useful series will eventually pay for itself.
My hon. Friend the Member for Newham, South mentioned the question 1716 of the Ordnance Survey acquiring trading fund status under the Government Trading Funds Act 1973. Let me say at once that this is not an immediate prospect. Hon. Members may like to be reminded that the accounting system of the Ordnance Survey was until recently limited to the traditional one of ensuring compliance of expenditure with the estimate; it did not provide an effective measure of the cost of the Ordnance Survey's individual services and products. Following the announcement in February 1973 of a statement of aims for the Ordnance Survey given by the then Secretary of State, a system of trading accounts was introduced to enable the cost of individual services and products to be identified. This system is still not operative. Until full information is available it will not be possible to come to any view whether there would be justifiable cause for any change in the present arrangements.
I hope that in this very interesting debate—and a rare debate on the Ordnance Survey in the House—I have satisfied the interests of both of my hon. Friends. I know that they are representing a very large number of members of the public in raising this matter in the House, albeit at a very unusual hour of the morning.
§ Question put and agreed to.
§ Adjourned accordingly at twenty-eight minutes to Four o'clock a.m.