Ordnance Survey Business Model - Fails to Deliver Fair Competition

The Locus Association today expressed strong disappointment that the government appears to have largely ignored the independent advice it has received over many years in relation to Ordnance Survey’s business model.  Locus again expresses its concern that the approach will continue to fail to deliver fair competition in the Public Sector Information (PSI) marketplace.  

Whilst Locus fully agrees with the strategy’s overriding aim of providing a balance between making information more widely available and creating a sustainable future for Ordnance Survey, the Association does not believe that this should be to the detriment of a level playing field for companies operating in the PSI arena.  The detail of the strategy however suggests that this is the case.

Locus believes that today was a clear chance for Government to transform the Public Sector Information marketplace to the advantage of the public sector, the private sector and the end consumer – once again this opportunity has been missed.

Michael Nicholson, Locus Chairman, said “Enhancing access to Public Sector Information (PSI) for re-use - for general economic benefit and as a means of improving services to citizens - is an enduring goal of successive UK Governments but one that has proved elusive.   In December 2006, an Office of Fair Trading report (the CUPI Study) heavily criticised Ordnance Survey and recommended that their upstream production and downstream commercial arms should be separated and that their accounting and pricing should become more transparent, threatening possible action within three years if this was not achieved.  Neither recommendation appears to have been adopted by Government in the publication of today’s business model for Ordnance Survey.  We shall await the OFT’s reaction with interest”.

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Notes for Editors:

1.       Locus was established in autumn 2005 and formally launched on 26th January 2006. The Association’s President is a former Director General of the OFT and Oftel, Sir Bryan Carsberg.

2.       The Association exists to raise awareness of, and promote the development of, a healthy and competitive private sector in relation to PSI. Locus acts as a forum for exchange of information, keeps its members up to date with latest policy developments, and provides advice and guidance. Our members recognise the potential of PSI, but also the benefit of uniting to address some of the challenges and pooling resources to meet them. It is worth noting that the particular nature of the PSI market structure, where individual private sector organisations have limited influence, lends itself to the development of a trade body.

Enquiries: Harriet Crosthwaite - 020 7340 6260 or harriet@quintuspa.com