§ Mr. David Mitchellasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what price restraint discipline is expected to be followed by the Royal Ordnance Survey; and whether he will make a statement on increases by it in some of its charges in excess of 250 per cent. in one year.
§ Mr. OakesThe discipline imposed on the Ordnance Survey is that price increases must reflect increases in costs. Ordnance Survey costs have risen very substantially during the last two years, and a main aim of the increased charges was to contain the very large amount by which the Ordnance Survey is dependent on Exchequer support. At the same time an attempt has been made to relate individual charges more closely to costs.
Among the largest percentage increases were the prices of lithographically printed large scale maps. There are over 200,000 sheets of these maps. They are expensive to produce, store and distribute, and the average annual demand per sheet is very small. The Ordnance Survey has introduced an alternative, cheaper method 345W of making the information available in the form of microfilm and microfilm printouts.