§ 59. Mr. Wingfield Digbyasked the Minister of Land and Natural Resources whether he is aware of the uncertainty created for private map producers by the power of the Ordnance Survey to increase royalty charges without appeal, including charges for reprints where there has been little or no revision from Ordnance Survey material; and whether he will give an assurance that royalties will not be increased, in order to enable the trade to plan ahead.
§ Mr. WilleyThe royalties charged for reproducing Ordnance Survey material are intended to secure from those who make use of the Department's work an appropriate contribution to the heavy and increasing costs of the Survey. The hon. Member can be assured that every effort is, and will continue to be, made to absorb increases in costs by greater efficiency, including the introduction and development of improved methods and techniques. The hon. Member may like to know that, in order to assist private map publishers to plan ahead, royalties on reprints for the same customer made within two years are assessed on the same basis as for the original printing.