§ Mr Liddell-GraingerTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what help will be given to farmers to accommodate to the change over to digital mapping with special reference to the accuracy of mapping. [86556]
315W
§ Alun MichaelTo help farmers accommodate the change to digital mapping, each is being sent a copy of the relevant maps showing details of the fields after initial digitisation. The field information being noted by RPA's contractors is taken from the Area Aid Application submitted by the farmer concerned and is digitised using the latest digitised maps provided by the Ordnance Survey. To assist this process, RPA has also obtained up-to-date high quality aerial photographs of England.
In addition each farmer is sent an explanatory leaflet describing the process and explaining what is required. The maps and attached field data highlights queries which farmers are asked to help to resolve.
Once the queries have been resolved, maps will be edited and a final copy will be sent to farmers to retain.
The digitised maps are of a high standard of accuracy and the details are set out on the OS Website, www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk.