HC Deb 25 January 1988 vol 126 cc34-5W
Mr. John Marshall

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much public money has had to be underwritten by the Exchequer for Ordnance Survey commercial publications which have failed to make a profit since the introduction of the Ordnance Survey commercial arm in 1981.

Mr. Moynihan

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 18 November 1987, at column 681.

Mr. John Marshall

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment why the copyright royalties for Ordnance Survey co-publication products are charged as a cost against the revenue from sales whereas the royalties to be paid by private sector map-makers are based on the quantity printed, regardless of the quantity sold.

Mr Moynihan

Copyright royalty on Ordnance Survey maps used in co-publications is a cost which, together with origination and production charges, is set against revenue from sales of the product for the purpose of assessing profitability and return on investment. The royalty cost figure itself is calculated on print quantities in the same way as that applied to publishers who reproduce Ordnance Survey material in their own publications.

Mr. John Marshall

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will instruct the Ordnance Survey not to prevent national mapping, identified by the Serpell committee as being required in the national interest and paid for by the Exchequer, from being used by the private sector as the basis for commercial mapping which does not compete against the, so defined, national mapping.

Mr. Moynihan

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 20 November 1987, at column 682. Ordnance Survey does not unreasonably restrict the use of such mapping in these circumstances.

Mr. John Marshall

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will now arrange for an independent investigation, as opposed to audit, of how Ordnance Survey allocated its costs for the production of the Temple Press-Ordnance Survey "Motoring Atlas of Great Britain" which was produced in 1982.

Mr. Moynihan

There are no plans to arrange such an investigation. I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 18 November 1987, at column 569.