To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will make it his policy to replace the Ordnance Survey's aerial photography programme with the licensing of such photographs from other agencies and businesses; and if he will make a statement.

Ordnance Survey is an independent, non-ministerial government department with Executive Agency status operating as a Trading Fund under the Ordnance Survey Trading Fund Order 1999. As such, Ordnance Survey has delegated authority the make the decisions necessary to fulfil its Public Task.

An open procurement process is currently underway for a new contract to fulfil Ordnance Survey’s remote sensing requirements. Ordnance Survey requires ownership of the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) of the aerial imagery for various reasons, including the ability to use the deliverables on an unrestricted basis and the need to be able to deliver changing Crown policy requirements.