Comments on: Where is Ordnance Survey’s public task set out, exactly? And why is it paying an external PR company? (updated)

By: Free Our Data: the blog » Blog Archive » Ordnance Survey’s lobbying, part 1

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 13:27:08 +0000

[...] late to posting this (I blame holidays), but Mike Cross entered an FOI request after we noticed in May that it had paid a lobbying company called Mandate about £49,000 for “consultancy [...]

By: Michael Cross

Michael Cross — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 06:50:24 +0000

… and here’s the result: http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/aug/21/politicsandtechnology

There are several hundred pages, mainly to do with attempts to set up meetings with MPs, MSPs and AMs. Some of it is quite funny.

By: Michael Cross

Michael Cross — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 11:02:04 +0000

I’ve just made an FoI request (via http://www.whatdotheyknow.com) for copies of correspondence between OS and Mandate. Deadline for a response is Friday July 25.

By: Free Our Data: the blog » Blog Archive » So here’s the Ordnance Survey’s public task, for the record

Thu, 15 May 2008 00:16:13 +0000

[...] A Guardian Technology campaign for free public access to data about the UK and its citizens « Where is Ordnance Survey’s public task set out, exactly? And why is it paying an external PR c… [...]

By: Michael Cross

Michael Cross — Wed, 14 May 2008 21:08:56 +0000

And here’s what Mandate has to say:

Mandate’s award-winning public affairs consultants know how to make winning arguments at the heart of government. Working in Westminster, Whitehall, all of the UK’s devolved nations and regions, Brussels and Washington DC, we are professional lobbyists and proud of it.

More at http://www.yourmandate.com/

By: Dan Macdonald

Dan Macdonald — Mon, 12 May 2008 15:21:10 +0000

Well it isn’t easy! As you’ll know OS’s public task figured strongly in the CLG Committee inquiry which the Select Committee carried out last year. The Committee asked several pertinent questions about OS’s public task pointing out that it was an issue of dispute.

In their first set of evidence OS and CLG said it was under discussion. Unusually OS posted another set of evidence (after the official deadline) which said they had now set a new public task.

This evidence contains the most detailed definition I’ve found on OS’s public task – as set by …OS! It’s only available if you trawl thru’ the pdf version of the evidence given at http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmcomloc.htm

Hope this helps.

By: Charles Arthur

Charles Arthur — Mon, 12 May 2008 15:08:45 +0000

@Dan: if you know where the OS’s *full* public task is set out online, I’d be grateful if you’d post it. I couldn’t find it with some quick searching.. All I found was a brief mention (linked above) on the OS site, and the “summary” on the SE site.

By: Dan Macdonald

Dan Macdonald — Mon, 12 May 2008 14:53:28 +0000

I’m sure you are teasing us here! I know where OS’s own description of its revised public task is, and I’m guessing you do too. Perhaps we should offer a prize to the first reply to your blog that gives the details of where it can be found?

Of just as much concern is what it says when you do track it down. Besides saying OS’s task is exactly what they wish it to be, they also make some pretty significant claims on a topic which has appeared in your blog on many occasions – addresses.

OS says (amongst other assertions) that it is their job to “…Collect and maintain uniform datasets with national coverage forming the official record of the natural and built environment of Great Britain containing…
– high resolution address data
– transport networks (including road, rail, waterways, tracks and paths)…”

This might be news to those in local government and Royal Mail who thought that they had a part to play here!