Asked by: Lord Arbuthnot of Edrom (Conservative - Life peer)
Question
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.
Answered by Matt Hancock
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.
Asked by: Lord Arbuthnot of Edrom (Conservative - Life peer)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what the cost was of the Ordnance Survey's aerial photography programme in each of the last five years; and if he will make an estimate of the potential annual cost of licensing such photographs from other agencies and businesses.
Answered by Matt Hancock
The costs for Ordnance Survey’s aerial photography programme in each of the last five years are as follows:
2010/11 - £3.36m
2011/12 - £2.05m
2012/13 - £1.63m
2013/14 - £1.96m
2014/15 - £1.97m
These costs include capture of the imagery and it’s processing to create ortho-imagery, which is used to update the Master Map of Great Britain.
As explained in the response to Question UIN 221333, Ordnance Survey requires full ownership of the Intellectual Property Rights of the aerial photography it acquires. Ordnance Survey considered all options and decided to procure full rights to the data it required.
Asked by: Lord Arbuthnot of Edrom (Conservative - Life peer)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether Ordnance Survey is conducting aerial photography of the UK; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Matt Hancock
Ordnance Survey captures aerial photography every year and uses this imagery to update the OS MasterMap® of Great Britain in order to fulfil its obligations under its Public Task. In addition, Ordnance Survey makes the aerial photography available as a product for its customers’ use in the Government, Business and Consumer markets; this is called OS MasterMap® Imagery Layer.
Ordnance Survey has been acquiring aerial imagery since the 1930s and established its own Flying Unit in 1966.
Ordnance Survey captures imagery in order to meet its commitments to maintain the currency of its mapping data as laid before Parliament in its annual Agency Performance Monitors.
Asked by: Lord Arbuthnot of Edrom (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what comparative assessment his Department has made of the future waterproofing requirements of the armed forces of (a) the UK and (b) other NATO member states; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Philip Dunne
The Ministry of Defence takes all measures possible to ensure that all clothing issued to service personnel is both right for the job and right for them. We apply rigorous technical specifications and quality standards which are reviewed regularly. These assessments include regular engagement with UK Front Line Commands and NATO to ensure appropriate products are obtained for UK Armed Forces.
The new Waterproof Garments contract, commonly known as the Taped Seam Contract, includes the lightweight waterproof jacket, which can be worn under body armour; all other waterproof garments are designed to be worn without body armour.Although, currently, there is no identified requirement for chemical and biological protection or flame retardancy the new contract will include a design and development clause for future requirements.
Asked by: Lord Arbuthnot of Edrom (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what consideration has been given to different future requirements for waterproofs of (a) the Army, (b) the Royal Navy and (c) Royal Air Force; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Philip Dunne
The Ministry of Defence takes all measures possible to ensure that all clothing issued to service personnel is both right for the job and right for them. We apply rigorous technical specifications and quality standards which are reviewed regularly. These assessments include regular engagement with UK Front Line Commands and NATO to ensure appropriate products are obtained for UK Armed Forces.
The new Waterproof Garments contract, commonly known as the Taped Seam Contract, includes the lightweight waterproof jacket, which can be worn under body armour; all other waterproof garments are designed to be worn without body armour.Although, currently, there is no identified requirement for chemical and biological protection or flame retardancy the new contract will include a design and development clause for future requirements.
Asked by: Lord Arbuthnot of Edrom (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether waterproofs procured under the Taped Seam Contract will be designed to be worn under or over body armour.
Answered by Philip Dunne
The Ministry of Defence takes all measures possible to ensure that all clothing issued to service personnel is both right for the job and right for them. We apply rigorous technical specifications and quality standards which are reviewed regularly. These assessments include regular engagement with UK Front Line Commands and NATO to ensure appropriate products are obtained for UK Armed Forces.
The new Waterproof Garments contract, commonly known as the Taped Seam Contract, includes the lightweight waterproof jacket, which can be worn under body armour; all other waterproof garments are designed to be worn without body armour.Although, currently, there is no identified requirement for chemical and biological protection or flame retardancy the new contract will include a design and development clause for future requirements.
Asked by: Lord Arbuthnot of Edrom (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether Defence Equipment and Support plans to include a requirement for flame retardancy in future waterproof garments under the next Taped Seam Contract.
Answered by Philip Dunne
The Ministry of Defence takes all measures possible to ensure that all clothing issued to service personnel is both right for the job and right for them. We apply rigorous technical specifications and quality standards which are reviewed regularly. These assessments include regular engagement with UK Front Line Commands and NATO to ensure appropriate products are obtained for UK Armed Forces.
The new Waterproof Garments contract, commonly known as the Taped Seam Contract, includes the lightweight waterproof jacket, which can be worn under body armour; all other waterproof garments are designed to be worn without body armour.Although, currently, there is no identified requirement for chemical and biological protection or flame retardancy the new contract will include a design and development clause for future requirements.
Asked by: Lord Arbuthnot of Edrom (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether Defence Equipment and Support plans to include a requirement for chemical and biological protection in future waterproof garments under the next Taped Seam Contract.
Answered by Philip Dunne
The Ministry of Defence takes all measures possible to ensure that all clothing issued to service personnel is both right for the job and right for them. We apply rigorous technical specifications and quality standards which are reviewed regularly. These assessments include regular engagement with UK Front Line Commands and NATO to ensure appropriate products are obtained for UK Armed Forces.
The new Waterproof Garments contract, commonly known as the Taped Seam Contract, includes the lightweight waterproof jacket, which can be worn under body armour; all other waterproof garments are designed to be worn without body armour.Although, currently, there is no identified requirement for chemical and biological protection or flame retardancy the new contract will include a design and development clause for future requirements.
Asked by: Lord Arbuthnot of Edrom (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what specifications the Taped Seam Contract will set out for future waterproofs; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Philip Dunne
The Ministry of Defence takes all measures possible to ensure that all clothing issued to service personnel is both right for the job and right for them. We apply rigorous technical specifications and quality standards which are reviewed regularly. These assessments include regular engagement with UK Front Line Commands and NATO to ensure appropriate products are obtained for UK Armed Forces.
The new Waterproof Garments contract, commonly known as the Taped Seam Contract, includes the lightweight waterproof jacket, which can be worn under body armour; all other waterproof garments are designed to be worn without body armour.Although, currently, there is no identified requirement for chemical and biological protection or flame retardancy the new contract will include a design and development clause for future requirements.
Asked by: Lord Arbuthnot of Edrom (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans to publish the Annual Report on Reserve Forces as submitted by the Reserve Forces and Cadets Association.
Answered by Julian Brazier
The Secretary of State for Defence placed the report in the Library of the House on 15 July 2014.