fe4d7be0_nance_Survey_official_response__The_Ordnance_Survey_replies___
[The Guardian says...] How did we get into this mess? The problem stems from the days of the Conservative government, which created “trading funds”. These government-owned bodies - including OS, Companies House, the Driving Standards Agency, HM Land Registry, the Patent Office and the Royal Mint - have to sell to other parts of the government and private customers. Every year they have a “revenue target” that must be paid to the Treasury; but the only way to earn those revenues is through commercial activity - creating the ludicrous spectacle of government-approved monopolies making the market buy data at their rates. A growing number of experts say the loss to the economy outweighs "gains" through lowered taxes. "The amount of money made is trivial," says Keith Dugmore of the Demographics User Group, which represents commercial users of government information.
The aim of the revenue target is to provide a sharper focus on achieving value for money and providing key services and supplies more effectively. We are more customer-focused, and our products more closely aligned to user needs than ever before.
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