HL Deb 17 January 1978 vol 388 cc91-2WA
Lord SHACKLETON

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will make a Statement about the study of the Ordnance Survey.

Baroness BIRK

My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for the Environment has asked Sir David Serpell to chair the Committee to review the operations of the Ordnance Survey. Mr. J. R. C. Yglesias will be the deputy chairman. He expects to announce the names of the other Committee members shortly: their number will include some with professional, academic and commercial expertise and some with considerable knowledge of user interests. Mr. Walter Smith, the Director General of the Ordnance Survey, will be available to attend meetings and to act as co-adjutor and adviser to the Committee.

The terms of reference of the Committee, which will work on the basis that the Ordnance Survey will remain a Government Department operating throughout Great Britain are: Taking account of the views of users and other interested parties, in the context of national surveying and mapping needs, to consider and make recommendations about the longer term policies and activities of the Ordnance Survey and ways of financing them".

He is asking the Committee to complete its report, which he proposes to publish, by early 1979 so that it may serve as a basis for determining Ordnance Survey policies for the 1980s and 1990s.

While he does not envisage any requirement for legislative action in regard to the Ordnance Survey's status he expects the review to cover the whole range of services (including quality) involved in the collection, presentation and utilisation of information by the Survey. The Committee will also need to consider whether costs could be reduced or revenue increased by greater efficiency; by changes in policies or standards or levels of activity; or by improved marketing. These tasks will obviously call for the identification and assessment of the needs of current and potential users.

Finally, he is asking the Committee to consider what the appropriate long-term financial guidelines should be for establishing the proportion of costs to be borne by the user (whether public or private) and the proportion to be borne by the taxpayer.