European Community Map

HC Deb 23 June 1982 vol 26 c290

14. Sir John Biggs-Davison

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many copies of the map of the European Community, its member States, regions and administrative units, which marks Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland but not England, have been distributed by the Ordnance Survey; and if he will take steps to prevent further circulation of this map until the word "England" has been added.

Mr. Giles Shaw

Ordnance Survey has distributed about 9,500 copies of the smaller version of the European Community map, at 1 in 8 million scale, and about 6,000 copies of the larger version. The map is published by the Office for Official Publications of the European Communities. The Office and not the Ordnance Survey is responsible for its editorial content. The map is concerned with the major regional units of a member State. In this context the nomenclature is appropriate and I do not intend to seek its alteration.

Sir John Biggs-Davison

How was it that the Ordnance Survey, a distinguished agency of the Crown, could bear to distribute this matter? Will my hon. Friend take steps to ensure that either it is overprinted with the word "England" in the appropriate place, or reprinted?

Mr. Shaw

No, Sir. I shall not take that step. I remind my hon. Friend that the United Kingdom, and not England, is shown on the map as the member State. The other regions of England that are shown are comparable with Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland because they are regional planning areas.

Mr. Stokes

Is my hon. Friend aware that increasingly, unfortunately, there is a tendency to omit, or be shy about mentioning, the words "England" or "English"? Is that not thoroughly disgraceful? Should not the Government put a stop to it immediately?

Mr. Shaw

I trespass on dangerous territory when I have to clash with my hon. Friend the Member for Halesowen and Stourbridge (Mr. Stokes). I can plead only that the map is produced neither by the Government nor by the Ordnance Survey as an editorial matter. It is produced for a customer—the European Economic Community.