HL Deb 25 July 1983 vol 443 c1418WA
Lord Melchett

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they are aware that the arbitrary revenue recovery target for the 1:25,000 scale map series imposed on the Ordnance Survey is causing the OS to refuse permission to local voluntary organisations to base footpath maps on OS copyright material, thereby depriving those who walk in the countryside of information shown on such footpath maps but not shown on OS maps.

Lord Bellwin

Ordnance Survey maps of Great Britain at a scale of 1:25,000 are Exchequer supported and show footpaths. My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for the Environment feels that it would be an unreasonable burden on the taxpayer to allow the income from Ordnance Survey maps sales to be undermined by maps copied from Ordnance Survey material. The publication of other information about footpaths is not restricted by Ordnance Survey.