§ Mr. Wolfsonasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement about the Ordnance Survey trading accounts.
§ Mrs. RumboldOn 24 January 1984, my right hon. Friend, the then Secretary of State for the Environment, said that from 1984–85, Ordnance Survey would publish trading accounts in addition to its normal vote accounts. Unfortunately, National Audit Office examination of the 1984–85 trading accounts has drawn attention to deficiencies, primarily in record keeping, which preclude certification and publication for both 1984–85 and 1985–86. There is no suggestion of any loss or impropriety in these accounts and OS is making every effort to ensure that trading accounts for 1986–87 can be audited and published. The difficulties affecting the trading accounts did not affect the Ordnance Survey appropriation accounts which the Comptroller and Auditor General certified in October 1985.