Spatial Data Infrastructures in the United Kingdom: State of play 2005

Transcription

1 Spatial Data Infrastructures in the : State of play 2005 Country report on SDI elaborated in the context of a study commissioned by the EC (EUROSTAT & DGENV) in the framework of the INSPIRE initiative August 2005 SPATIAL APPLICATIONS DIVISION K.U.LEUVEN RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT Vital Decosterstraat 102, B-3000 LEUVEN TEL.: FAX: URL:

2 Report meta-information Title Spatial Data Infrastructures in The : State of play Spring 2005 Creator Catharina Bamps (SADL) & Peter Beusen (ICRI) Date Issued Subject INSPIRE State of Play Activities 1, 3 & 4 Publisher K.U.Leuven (SADL + ICRI) + Margaret Hall consultant Description This report is summarizing the review of SDI in the UK Contributor Catharina Bamps, Jos Van Orshove, Danny Vandenbroucke (SADL); Peter Beusen, Katleen Janssen (ICRI); Mr. Connelly Russell, Mr Mark Linehan, Neil Sutherland (UK) Format MS Word 97/2000 Audience Identifier Rcr05Ukv82.doc Language EN Coverage Snapshot at Version number Date Modified by Comments Catharina Bamps First version (SADL) & Peter Beusen (ICRI) Jos Van Orshoven (SADL) Completion & harmonization with 31 other country reports Catharina Bamps (SADL) Consolidation and integration of comments received from Mr. K. Murray and Mr. Earnshaw (Ordnance Survey GB) Addition of : - Report meta-information - Executive summary - Abbreviations/acronyms Jos Van Orshoven (SADL) Harmonisation with 31 other country reports Katleen Janssen (ICRI) General review, correction and update of legal framework Catharina Bamps (SADL) Integration of comments from Mr. Connelly, Russell, Policy Co-ordinator OSNI (Response

3 OSNI), Mr Mark Linehan, director AGI and from limited review of web sites. General review, correction and update Addition of table pointing to changes with regard to Version Jos Van Orshoven Consolidation (SADL) Neil Sutherland Update the status for Danny Vandenbroucke Review and consolidation of the 2005 update Katleen Janssen (ICRI) General review, correction and update of legal framework Danny Vandenbroucke Final report based on comments from the EC

4 Change matrix 2005 versus 2004 Paragraphs in which information is reported which deviates in a significant way from what was reported in the Spring 2004 version of this country report are listed in the below table. They are indicated in red. Paragraph Type of change Executive summary Updated to reflect state Spring Small changes and update of roles and objectives of each player Review and detail added Review and detail added Review and detail added Review and detail added Updated to reflect state Spring URL s updated URL s updated More detail added Slightly changed More detail added Information added on OSNI More detail added GML added Welsh language issues added More detail added Examples added Examples added Detail added 2.6 More detail added/ Updated to reflect state Spring Coordinates modified K.U.Leuven (SADL-ICRI) + Hall 1

5 Executive summary Although as early as 1995 the National Geospatial Data Framework (NGDF) initiative was launched to assist in the process of getting industry players round the table to tackle some common GI-issues, there is yet no formal NSDI in the UK, nor a single organisation with responsibility for its establishment and coordination. On the other hand, the country as a whole has a well developed GI sector, with extensive datasets available from both public and private sector sources. Various efforts have been undertaken to implement a broad metadata service but these have not been sustainable. These developments have taken place within a robust commercial, i.e. customer driven framework, with central government also adopting a policy of cost recovery for some of its data resources. There has been criticism that such commercially-led policy is hampering informed governance and the further development of value-added services in the private sector. Nevertheless, there is a great deal of interest among the key players for the development of a more coordinated national spatial data policy in UK. The Ordnance Surveys of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Association for Geographic Information are generally being considered to have a central role in the elaboration and execution of this policy. An important driver is the modernising government agenda through which the importance of geographic information has been recognised at the most senior levels of government. An important element for the development of an NSDI in the UK is that public geoinformation is strongly protected by far reaching Crown copyright. No other country has a system quite like it. Crown copyright covers a wide range of material, including Ordnance Survey mapping. Ordnance Survey (Great Britain) is the national mapping agency of England Scotland and Wales. It provides the underpinning reference framework and infrastructure. Before 1999, Ordnance Survey worked within a maximum cost recovery model. Since April 1999, it has operated as a Trading Fund (the user pays funding model) and has as such greater responsibility for own finances and planning, extra freedom to develop new initiatives. The financing of activities that are of national interest fall under the National Interest Mapping Services Agreement (NIMSA). This Agreement came into effect on 1 April 1999 when Ordnance Survey started to operate as a Trading Fund and ends in March In July 2004, a new framework document setting out the role and responsibilities of Ordnance Survey has been presented to Parliament by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. It endorses the business model under which Ordnance Survey operates, and sets out financial arrangements for the agency. The Deputy Prime Minister confirms that the excellent performance of Ordnance Survey, which operates as a Trading Fund from 1999, has shown that working commercially is still the most appropriate way for the agency to operate. K.U.Leuven (SADL-ICRI) + Hall 2

6 Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland works along the same lines as Ordnance Survey. The common national infrastructure NIGIS is a now defunct programme which has been superseded by Mosaic - A Geographic Information Strategy for Northern Ireland containing an INSPIRE-compatible vision. Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland reviewed the NIGIS (Northern Ireland Geographic Information System) in order to shift the focus from a technical forum to a strategic forum. A consultation document A GI strategy for Northern Ireland containing an INSPIRE-compatible vision was launched to promote a coordinated cross-governmental approach, standardisation of address data (Pointer), collaboration (cross-border) (Ordnance Survey, OSNI, OSI) and harmonisation. The Association for Geographic Information (AGI) which brings together over members from public and private sectors, data producers and users, holds a neutral position as it represents the GI-community as a whole (public + private). AGI is currently hosting the web-based metadata service GI-gateway and has recently launched MetaGenie, the UK metadata creation tool. K.U.Leuven (SADL-ICRI) + Hall 3

7 Table of Contents CHANGE MATRIX 2005 VERSUS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY... 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS... 4 ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS GENERAL INFORMATION METHOD THE GI- AND NSDI-SCENE IN THE UK DETAILS OF THE NSDI-SITUATION IN THE UK GENERAL INFORMATION COMPONENT 1: LEGAL FRAMEWORK AND FUNDING COMPONENT 2: REFERENCE DATA AND CORE THEMATIC DATA COMPONENT 3: METADATA FOR REFERENCE DATA AND CORE THEMATIC DATA COMPONENT 4: ACCESS AND OTHER SERVICES FOR REFERENCE DATA, CORE THEMATIC DATA AND THEIR METADATA COMPONENT 5: STANDARDS COMPONENT 6: THEMATIC ENVIRONMENTAL DATA USE AND EFFICIENCY OF SDI ANNEXES SDI ADDRESSES & CONTACTS FOR THE UNITED KINGDOM LIST OF REFERENCES FOR UNITED KINGDOM...36 K.U.Leuven (SADL-ICRI) + Hall 4

8 Abbreviations and acronyms AGI Association for Geographic Information BSI British Standards Institute CT Core Thematic Data DNF Digital National Framework FIR Further Investigation Required GEMINI Geo-spatial Metadata Interoperability Initiative GI Geographical Information GINIE Geographic Information Network in Europe GIS Geographical Information System GPS Global Positioning System HMSO Her Majesty s Stationary Office IFTS Information Fair Trader Scheme IGGI Intra-Governmental Group on GI INSPIRE INfrastructure for SPatial InfoRmation in Europe MOLAND Monitoring Land Cover / Use Dynamics NDPB non-departmental public bodies NGDF National Geospatial Data Framework NIGIS Northern Ireland Geographic Information System NIMSA National Interest Mapping Services Agreement NLIS National Land Information Service NLPG National Land & Property Gazetteer NSAI National Spatial Address Infrastructure NSDI National Spatial Data Infrastructures NSG National Street Gazetteer NTD National Topographic Database ODPM Office of the Deputy Prime Minister OPSI Office of Public Sector Information OS Ordnance Survey OSGB Ordnance Survey of Great Britain OSNI Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland PSI Policy and legislation on access to public sector information PPP Public-private partnerships REF Reference data RIA Regulatory Impact SDI Spatial Data Infrastructures SPIRE Spatial Information Repository UKSGB Standard Geographic Base K.U.Leuven (SADL-ICRI) + Hall 5

9 UPRN VLA Unique Property Reference Number Valuation & Lands Agency K.U.Leuven (SADL-ICRI) + Hall 6

10 1 GENERAL INFORMATION 1.1 Method This report is summarizing the review of SDI in the, and aims at reflecting the degree to which the SDI-situation is similar to the ideas set out in the INSPIRE position papers 1 and the more recent INSPIRE scoping documents. The report is based on the analysis of various documents, project references and web sites readily accessible (See Section 3.2 for the full list of consulted references). Basic information was found in the recent GINIE-reports. The report has been completed by integration and consolidation of comments received from representatives of the Ordnance Surveys (GB in 2003 and NI in 2004 both updated in 2005) and through interviews organized in the framework of Activity 2 of the State-of-Play project in May-June The GI- and NSDI-scene in the UK Overview The UK has a unique political and administrative structure. It is made up of the three nations England, Scotland and Wales, and the province of Northern Ireland. Scotland has for some issues a specific legal system, reflected e.g. in the land registry which is different from the HM Land Registry in England and Wales. Decentralisation is clearly progressing which impacts on governance, regulations and information and data provision. The modernising government agenda has been another important driver for change. It comprises the Joined-Up Government initiative which aims at effective, efficient data sharing across organisations. It also implies the implementation of the e- government plan through which the UK Office of the e-envoy (now transformed into the e-government Unit) was responsible for ensuring that all government services are available electronically by 2005 with key services. Both items have led to a firm recognition by the central government of the GI-sector. The traditional producers of reference and core thematic spatial data in the UK are: Ordnance Survey Great Britain (OSGB), the national mapping agency of England, Scotland and Wales, providing the underpinning reference framework and infrastructure for Great Britain. ( ; 1 INSPIRE position papers, final versions: RDM, ETC, DPLI, ASF, IST, IAS (latest version). K.U.Leuven (SADL-ICRI) + Hall 7

11 Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland (OSNI), the national mapping agency for the province providing the underpinning reference framework and infrastructure for Northern Ireland. ( ) ; Royal Mail, the producer and maintainer of the postal address file. It can be stated that reference and core thematic data are now largely in place for the UK. More attention is now being devoted to linking it all together. From there a great deal of interest exists for the development of a national spatial data policy. With respect the establishment of such a policy, the key players are: The Intra-Governmental Group on GI (IGGI), representing central government departments; The Improvement and Development Agency for Local Government ( ) and The Association for Geographic Information (AGI) ( ) which brings together over members from public and private sectors, data producers and users. Following the devolution or decentralisation, national groups were set up in Scotland (AGIS), Wales and Northern Ireland. The Geographic Information Panel. In July 2004, the UK Government announced the formation of the Geographic Information Panel. The Panel has 12 members, each of whom is a senior member of the organisation that they represent. The Panel aims to give high-level advice to ODPM Ministers on geographic information issues of national importance for the, in particular: To identify the key medium to long-term geographic information issues and advise Government through regular short reports to Ministers; To encourage more effective, extensive and systematic use of geographic information, led by the example of Government Departments and other public bodies where appropriate; To facilitate a co-ordinated position on potential legislation, both national and international, that might impact on the geographic information market ; To promote a coherent approach to the management of geographic information in the ;" Other players have a pertinent role in the Spatial Data Policy and SDI-related context: The Cabinet Office, through its e-government Unit ( in respect of e-government policies, and through the Office of Public Sector Information (OPSI: K.U.Leuven (SADL-ICRI) + Hall 8

12 ) for regulating the management of Crown copyright. The Office of Public Sector Information (OPSI) was formed in early 2005, incorporating Her Majesty s Stationery Office, reflecting its role in the UK's implementation of the EU Directive on the re-use of public sector information; The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM), that is responsible for both local government, regional development, planning and several new key initiatives (such as attacking the ills of social exclusion). ; In Scotland the Scottish Executive fulfils much the same role as the ODPM in England. ; In Wales the National Assembly fulfils much the same role as the ODPM in England. ; The major data producers Ordnance Survey, OSNI and Royal Mail. The Director General of Ordnance Survey is official adviser to the Government on GI. Collaboration between these bodies is well developed, but clearly operating within a bottom-up market-oriented context. There is no single high-profile central government led initiative to co-ordinate the provision and dissemination of GI at the national level. In Britain, central government does not see this as its business, even though some of its core policies such as partnerships between government agencies in delivering services at the local level, would clearly benefit from a coordinated GI framework as the basis for sharing information. This stand-off approach is considered to leave more room to the participation of the private sector in the development of a national GI framework, and to foster innovative solutions. Under the e-government initiatives, a clear tendency towards more coordination is present, i.e. the evolution in the direction of a more centrally managed SDI, in which the Ordnance Surveys of Great Britain and Northern Ireland play a key role. Hence it is from the perspective of Ordnance Survey, OSNI and also AGI that the NSDI-situation in the UK is further described in Chapter 2. First some more information about these players is provided Ordnance Survey In the last few years, Ordnance Survey has taken the lead to promote a joined up approach to geographic information through several initiatives. An important driving force for this is the National Interest Mapping Services Agreement (NIMSA), concluded on October 13, With this seven-year agreement, Ordnance Survey is to provide to the British Government improved mapping and other services needed in the national interest. (Data production and mapping services are addressed in Section 2.3.) Other SDIrelated key provisions derived from NIMSA include: K.U.Leuven (SADL-ICRI) + Hall 9

13 Providing a contribution to the cost of maintaining the rural component of the National Topographic Database to the same specification as the more commercially viable rural component. Providing a contribution to the cost of maintaining the rural component of the ADDRESS and ROADS datasets to the same specification as the more commercially viable urban component. Providing core funding for the depiction of administrative boundaries on the National Topographic Database and thereby supporting the whole boundary revision process in Great Britain. Providing core funding for the development of the National Metadata Service in Great Britain to facilitate the discovery of geographic data particularly that referenced in the Annexes of the INSPIRE proposal for a Directive. Maintaining the capability to supply the geographical information needs of the educational sector, particularly within the National Curriculum; Maintaining the capability to respond to requests from Government and the public for information relating to survey, mapping and geographical information. Other Ordnance Survey-initiatives include: Developing common specifications and standards with OSNI and Ordnance Survey Ireland. The web site provides information and guidance on using mapping and data products from the three National Mapping Agencies responsible for mapping Britain and Ireland. Although they share the name Ordnance Survey they are, in fact, three separate organisations each responsible to their own governments. Each has their own portfolio of products and services, each produced to their own specifications; The development of the Digital National Framework, a set of standards and technologies to promote joined up geography. The DNF ( brings together all the components that make up the essentials of an SDI, reusing existing standards where that is possible. DNF has been developed over the past three years, and is now supported by an Expert Group that includes central and local government bodies and representatives of the private sector. Some of the development has been in collaboration with Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland and Ordnance Survey Ireland; Collaboration with the UK Hydrographic Office and British Geological Survey to promote a seamless transition into the offshore geography and subsurface geology; K.U.Leuven (SADL-ICRI) + Hall 10

14 Collaboration with the land registries, local authorities, Royal Mail and the Valuation Office Agency to promote an integrated approach to land and property information; The Pan Government Agreement for central government provides central government with access to Ordnance Survey spatial data; The Mapping Services Agreement for local government provides local authorities with access to (principally) Ordnance Survey spatial data; Ordnance Survey is in the unique position of being responsible for mapping at all scales, including the large ones which in other European countries are often the responsibility of local government and the Cadastre. Ordnance Survey exercises a virtual monopoly in the provision of mapping through the enforcement of Crown Copyright, which covers both maps and databases without requiring the mark of originality as in other European Countries. The role of Ordnance Survey is crucial also because its Director General is adviser on GI matters to the Government. On 21 July 2004, a new framework document setting out the role and responsibilities of Ordnance Survey was presented to Parliament by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. It follows a government review which reconfirmed Ordnance Survey s status as a government department and executive agency operating as a Trading Fund, earning commercial revenues for its geographical information in order to be self-financing. The framework document endorses the business model under which Ordnance Survey operates, and sets out fresh financial arrangements for the agency. Together, these are designed to ensure Ordnance Survey continues to strike the right balance between maintaining consistent and accurate geographical information for the whole of Great Britain while ensuring its operations are funded by earning income and generating profits from the licensing of data to both the public and private sectors. Ordnance Survey is now required to make an average return on the capital it employs currently around 40 million of at least 5.5% a year. In addition, it will be expected to pay an annual dividend to the government: the amount of the dividend will be determined when each year s trading results are known. In a foreword to the framework document, Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott says: On my recommendation, Parliament decided that Ordnance Survey should operate as a Trading Fund from 1999, and its excellent performance since then has shown that working commercially with partners is still the most appropriate way for the agency to operate Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland OSNI developed a common national infrastructure (NIGIS) for sharing spatial information among a wide range of private-and public-sector organisations, for improvement of the accessibility and usefulness of geographic information held by government departments and public utilities. The common basis of the system is the Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland s topographic database to which all other spatial K.U.Leuven (SADL-ICRI) + Hall 11

15 data are to be referenced. Access to core topographical data is by application to the digital sales Department at Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland. Government policy aimed at delivering more services electronically has recently been introduced so methods of access may be extended. A metadata service is also available to highlight datasets that are fit for purpose. Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland reviewed the NIGIS (Northern Ireland Geographic Information System) in order to shift the focus from a technical forum to a strategic forum. A consultation document A GI strategy for Northern Ireland containing an INSPIRE-compatible vision was launched to promote a coordinated cross-governmental approach, standardisation of address data (Pointer), collaboration (cross-border) (Ordnance Survey, OSNI, OSI) and harmonisation. The consultation period for this consultation document ended on 7th March The consultation document entitled A Geographic Information Strategy for Northern Ireland was distributed to a wide range of groups. Following the receipt of responses from a number of these groups, a draft implementation plan was developed and subsequently approved by both the Northern Ireland E-Government Project Board and the Minister responsible for GI policy. The Implementation Strategy, which has been rebranded MOSAIC, sets out a strategy for the coordination, of GI in Northern Ireland, that is, the collection, storage, management, maintenance, dissemination, analysis and use of spatial information. MOSAIC recognises the need for a robust, high-level framework for managing, and co-ordinating GI matters in Northern Ireland to be established. This will include the creation of an overarching Steering Group, a GI Support Office, and a number of sectoral and project groups including: Culture & Heritage; Education and Awareness; Emergency Services; Environment and agriculture; Key Datasets; Land and property; Statistics; Health and Social Improvement Transport; and Utilities and networks. K.U.Leuven (SADL-ICRI) + Hall 12

16 In order to facilitate the implementation of MOSAIC, an Implementation Project Board has been established to oversee the initial implementation of the Sectoral and Overarching Steering Groups. This Project Board held its inaugural meeting in early November 2003, and comprises representatives from each sectoral group. In order to support the work of the Implementation Project Board, a GI Strategy Support Office has also been established. The office will provide administrative and technical support during the implementation stage of MOSAIC, and will provide a focal point for GI co-ordination in Northern Ireland, and a first contact point for UK and EC interests The Association for Geographic Information (AGI) AGI has two main roles in the context of the SDI in the UK. Firstly as the industry body for geographic information it forms collective views across the industry on issues of concern, and represents these views to government and others. Secondly, AGI manages and runs the national geographic metadata service (gigateway) under contract from Ordnance Survey, funded by NIMSA. In the first of these roles, AGI has developed a policy on INSPIRE and engages with the relevant UK Government departments to communicate that policy. In February 2004, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister defined, in a letter to AGI, the UK Government position on INSPIRE, addressing AGI as the recognised national organisation representing the UK geographic information community. It was stated that the UK Government, including Defra and ODPM, as joint leads, is supportive of the aspirations of INSPIRE and shares the Commission s views on the importance of geographic information in underpinning the development and delivery of EC policies. It was also stated that the UK Government is continuing its commitment to INSPIRE, with representation at both the Expert group and these new taskforces. Following the common procedure of the Cabinet Office for reaching judgement on European proposals, a regulatory impact (RIA) assessment has been recommended from the AGI that addresses the initial RIA topics. The gigateway metadata service is operated by a team of 4 staff within the AGI team (see The service has 3 components: Data Locator - a search engine for geographical information Data Directory a directory of data provider organisations Area Search a lookup service for the different administrative and statistcial geographies covering the country Some of the main landmarks in the development of gigateway have been: K.U.Leuven (SADL-ICRI) + Hall 13

17 The National Geospatial Data Framework (NGDF) was an initiative launched at the AGI 95 event. The emphasis was on a framework of standards, metadata and services. This resulted in two products: a metadata service, and the UK Standard Geographic Base. A website gateway to the services and data was launched: the askgiraffe Data Locator (launched July 2000) and the askgiraffe Data Integrator (launched September 2000). The NGDF was however not perceived as being wholy successful. Therefore in September 2001 the NGDF transferred its management and operation to the Association for Geographic Information (AGI) and was operated by seconded staff from Ordnance Survey. Full responsibility for the askgiraffe Service was transferred to the AGI in April 2002 and the contracts of the Ordnance Survey staff came to an end Other SDI-related initiatives National Spatial Address Infrastructure. Project Acacia, completed in 2004, investigated the need to standardise the common address framework required across government. Following this, plans for the creation of a National Spatial Address Infrastructure (NSAI) covering England & Wales were announced by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. The NSAI will be a single, comprehensive nationally consistent source of address information that will encompass objects without postal addresses. Ordnance Survey will provide the NSAI in partnership with local government and others. Maps on Tap led by ODPM. A common technical infrastructure and one-stop shop for access to governmental geographic information through a userfriendly map base; The Spatial Information Repository (SPIRE) programme led by Defra. This aims to join up the use of geographic information across the Defra family, and will involve the creation of a spatial data infrastructure within Defra; MAGIC. This Defra-led project provides a one-stop shop for rural and countryside information, bringing together definitive rural designation boundaries and information about rural land-based schemes into one place. It is currently being extended to include Great Britain and marine datasets; What s in your backyard? from the Environment Agency. This provides mapped information on the state of the environment at any postcode. Marine Data and Information Partnership (MDIP) is aiming to deliver a marine spatial data infrastructure; Vertical Offshore Reference Framework (VORF) is a UKHO project to create a seamless sea level surface for the UK continental shelf; K.U.Leuven (SADL-ICRI) + Hall 14

18 The Integrated Coastal Hydrography project provides a metadata discovery portal to identify hydrographic surveys undertaken on the UK continental shelf. The National GPS Network ( ) is a web-based service that provides an essential resource for the precise Global Positioning System (GPS) user in Great Britain. The website provides a GPS data archive, an information resource and precise coordinate transformation utilities. It is intended for all professional or recreational GPS users in Great Britain as well as geographical information systems (GIS) developers who work with Ordnance Survey mapping. All Ireland GPS initiative - OSNI, in partnership with Ordnance Survey of Ireland (Osi), has established a network of continuously operating GPS receivers distributed throughout Ireland and Northern Ireland. The data from these is available via the internet to all surveyors using high precision GPS. This provides a more efficient method to obtain precise coordinates in the European coordinate system ETRS89, which can be easily converted to the Irish Grid and heights above mean sea level using Ordnance Survey transformation models. Northern Ireland Spatial Indicators Project - A key project arising from Mosaic is the implementation of the MOLAND (Monitoring Land Cover / Use Dynamics) project in Northern Ireland. MOLAND has defined and validated a methodology in support of European sectoral policies with territorial and environmental impacts for endorsing sustainable urban and regional development. To this end, MOLAND develops land use digital databases at different dates, to provide an assessment of land use changes over time. OSNI has been awarded funding from the INTERREG IIIA Programme Ireland/Northern Ireland in order to establish a Spatial Indicators Unit as part of the Mosaic programme. The purpose of this Unit will be to create a local centre of excellence to encourage and assist government departments and state funded bodies in Northern Ireland and the Border Region to utilise the data and applications created by MOLAND. Whilst this project is at an early stage in its development, it has the potential to be particularly relevant to the development of rural spatial indicators, and to the modelling of rural and urban development and the associated impact K.U.Leuven (SADL-ICRI) + Hall 15

19 2 Details of the NSDI-situation in the UK 2.1 General Information Although, as early as 1995, the National Geospatial Data Framework (NGDF) initiative was launched to assist in the process of getting industry players round the table to tackle some common GI-issues, there is yet no formal NSDI in the UK, nor a single organisation with responsibility for its establishment and coordination. On the other hand, the country as a whole has a well developed GI sector, with extensive data sets available from both public and private sector sources. Most developments have taken place within a robust commercial framework, with central government also adopting a policy of cost recovery for some of its data resources. A shift in government policy has started to emerge in the last three years through its agenda to modernise and better coordinate government departments, which hinges to a large extent on e-government, i.e. the availability of all government services at both central and local level in electronic form by Within this framework the importance of geographic information has been recognised at the most senior levels of government, leading also to a more general reflection on funding and regulatory regimes. 2.2 Component 1: Legal framework and funding Legal framework and organizational issues There is no legal framework or high-profile central government led initiative to coordinate the provision and dissemination of GI at the national level. The British central government does not see this as its business. Ordnance Survey has however recently been taking a stronger lead in joining up several agencies through collaboration and in conjunction with the Office of Deputy Prime Minister Public-private partnerships (PPP s) An important flagship project with respect to public-private partnership in the GI-sector is lead by the National Land Information Service ( ). This project is providing a service through which it is now possible to search for property details online. General statements about PPP related to GI have not been found Policy and legislation on access to public sector information (PSI) The UK Parliament broadly signalled its position with regard to the accessibility of public sector information by passing a Freedom of Information Act in 2000, which came into full force in January The Act has received considerable criticism from many politicians across the political spectrum and NGOs as being insufficient and weaker than K.U.Leuven (SADL-ICRI) + Hall 16

20 the existing code of practice. In June 2002, the Scottish Parliament approved a Freedom of Information bill that is regarded as stronger than the English Freedom of Information Act. It also will not go into effect until Free access by the citizen to information on the environment has however been specified since 1992 by a Statutory Instrument, which was replaced by new Regulations in January The Re-use of Public Sector Information Regulations 2005 (Statutory Instrument 2005 No. 1515), transposing Directive 2003/98 on the re-use of PSI came into force on 1 July The regulations do not impose a general obligation on the public sector bodies to make their documents available for re-use. A public sector body may permit re-use, and if it decides to do so, it has to comply with the regulations. Whilst the provision of core data is well developed in the UK, less progress has been made thus far on metadata services (most of the data are only accessible off-line). Central government is now developing the e-government portal ( and a catalogue of public sector data ( ) using common metadata. Some progress has been made but there is still much work to do. Equally, on the GI side, an earlier attempt to develop a metadata service (SINES) in the mid 1990s was withdrawn for the difficulty of keeping it up-to-date, and its successor AskGIraffe which was maintained by Ordnance Survey with central government funding is also undergoing major changes, and will now be managed by the AGI under contract to Ordnance Survey (AskGIraffe became Gigateway). Hopefully this new organisational set up will provide the winning solution to extend the service beyond central government departments, and more crucially to give it high profile and ensure its maintenance, with linkages to the e- government portals Legal protection of GI by intellectual property rights Part I on copyright of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 extends to England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. It came into force on 1 August Chapter X of Part I of this Act has some special provisions on Crown and Parliamentary copyright. This 1988 Act provided a major updating of copyright law but the process has continued since then with a number of amendments. EU Directive 96/9/EC of 11 March 1996 on the legal protection of databases was implemented by the Copyright and Rights in Databases Regulation 1997, coming into force on 1 January The Copyright (Computer Programs) Regulations 1992 came into force on 1ste January Both Regulations made amendments to the above Copyright, Designs and Patents Act The amendments to the Copyright Act that transposed the 2001 directive on copyright in the information society into English law came into force on October 31st, There are fundamental differences in the perception of the rights given by copyright as between the Anglo-Saxon countries (the and Ireland) and major continental European countries. In the Anglo-Saxon system (in the UK at least) the emphasis is on the economic dimension of copyright, the level of originality required is very low, and "sweat of the brow" investment is protected. K.U.Leuven (SADL-ICRI) + Hall 17

21 In the UK, government geo-information is strongly protected by far reaching Crown copyright. No other country has a system quite like it. Crown copyright is defined in the above Act as a work made by Her Majesty or by an officer or servant of the Crown in the course of his duties. It covers a wide range of material, including legislation, government codes of practice, Ordnance Survey mapping, government reports, official press releases, government forms and many public records. There are however public sector copyright owners other than the Crown, such as local authorities and non-departmental public bodies (NDPB). These are thus not subject to Crown copyright control. The UK system of Crown copyright does however apply to Ordnance Survey ( which holds a strong market position as far as geographic products are concerned. It is responsible for mapping at all the scales. The Ordnance Survey therefore exercises a virtual monopoly in the provision of mapping through the enforcement of Crown copyright. The controller of Crown Copyright is OPSI ( which has recently acquired a new role as gatekeeper and regulator of access to Crown copyright information. In its role of regulator, OPSI is inter alia responsible for establishing the regulatory framework for Crown copyright information and for assisting public sector bodies that want to adopt similar regulatory frameworks. Although OPSI is nominally the body responsible for the administration of Crown copyright and the granting of licences, in certain cases, such as Ordnance Survey, this authority has been delegated to the department or agency concerned. Public sector copyright owners other than the Crown have recently been asked to review their strategies and align them with the approach being proposed in relation to Crown copyright Restricted access to GI further to the legal protection of privacy The Parliament approved the Data Protection Act in July 1998, which came into force on 1 March This Act updates the 1984 Data Protection Act in accordance with the requirements of the EU Directive 95/46/EC. The 1998 Act covers records held by government agencies and private entities. It provides for limitations on the use of personal information, access to and correction of records and requires that entities that maintain records, register with the Information Commissioner ( The Office of the Information Commissioner is an independent agency that maintains the register and enforces the Act. Directive 2002/58 on privacy and electronic communications has been transposed into English law Licensing framework Although OPSI is nominally the body responsible for the administration of Crown copyright and the granting of licences, in certain cases -such as Ordnance Surveyauthority has been delegated to the department or agency concerned. OPSI is thus the K.U.Leuven (SADL-ICRI) + Hall 18

22 regulator and licensor of access to government information. OPSI's licensing division manages and licenses the Crown copyright material. Linked to this responsibility are the task to define policy on Crown copyright and the task to delegate certain Crown copyright licensing responsibilities to other government departments and agencies. Two basic types of licences are offered by OPSI: A click-use licence and A tailored licence. The click-use licence covers a wide range of core government information. The charging policy for this click-use licence is that the customer will only be charged if there is a cost in supplying the material to the customer or converting data from one format or medium into another. The material covered by this Licence can therefore be directly reproduced from an Official Source without any charge. Tailored licences cover all other types of material, particularly value added material produced by government. Certain information falls within waiver conditions, meaning that in those cases the Crown's copyright has been asserted but subsequently waived to ensure wide access and dissemination of the material. In September 2000, the government accepted the recommendations of the Cross Cutting Review of the Knowledge Economy, published in December The aim of the Review was to facilitate a vibrant market for government information, responding to perceptions in government and the private sector that it was difficult to make the most productive use of government information. The Review found that there were administrative barriers that inhibited potential users from outside the government from identifying useful information. It saw that the government did not have a single coherent policy on how to decide whether, and on what conditions, to allow the reuse of government information, nor was there a single point of contact for assistance or decisions. Administrative challenges therefore discouraged private sector organisations trying to make innovative re-use of government information and prices were often perceived as high. The Review recommended changes, in the administration of licensing, and in the pricing of licences. The Information Fair Trader Scheme (IFTS) ensures that re-users of public sector information can be confident that they will be treated reasonably and fairly by public sector information providers. All Crown bodies that have a licensing delegation from the Controller of OPSI (such as Ordnance Survey) must join the Scheme, but it is open to public sector organisations to join voluntarily. To be recognised as an Information Fair Trader, an organisation will: - Make a commitment to fair trader principles; - See the commitment independently verified; - Investigate complaints that the commitment has not been met. K.U.Leuven (SADL-ICRI) + Hall 19

23 2.2.7 Funding model for SDI and pricing policy Successive governments have been pursuing an efficiency-driven policy, in respect to government departments, that has turned many of them into executive agencies with cost recovery targets. This has been coupled with an early recognition of the economic value of public sector information. GI is a front runner in this respect as it contributes three quarters of the 200 million raised by the Treasury through the sale of Copyright material. The uniquely large size of the average local authority in Great Britain (145,000 people) has made it possible to adopt a business model of high prices for relatively few large customers such as local government and the utilities. This model has been justified on the basis that the revenue raised has also enabled the investment necessary to create sophisticated data products and services in a relative short time. Funding Taking into account all the above, it is clear that the many elements that contribute to the SDI in the UK are funded through a mixture of public funding and user charges. The largest part of the financing however comes from cost recovery. Prices are generally higher than the marginal costs. The NIMSA (National Interest Mapping Services Agreement) however, shows the importance of the government as a client of Ordnance Survey. NIMSA identifies all the services towards which the Government contributed 42 million over the first three years of its life, starting on 1 April Funding for the remaining period of the agreement (until 2006) has been the subject of subsequent negotiations. Before 1999, Ordnance Survey of Great Britain worked within a maximum cost recovery model. Since April 1999, the Ordnance Survey(GB) operates as a Trading Fund (the user pays funding model) and has as such greater responsibility for its own finances and planning, extra freedom to develop new initiatives. The financing of activities that are of national interest fall under the NIMSA. Rhind reported in 1998 following cost recovery percentages by a number of GI-supplying (semi-)public agencies in the UK. Expenditure ( m) Revenue ( m) % cost recovery Central statistical office Office for property census and surveys Meteorological Office British Geological Survey Hydrographic office Ordnance survey K.U.Leuven (SADL-ICRI) + Hall 20

24 Registers of Scotland (cadastral) Her Majesty s Land Registry (cadastral) In July 2004, a new framework document setting out the role and responsibilities of Ordnance Survey has been presented to Parliament by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. It endorses the business model under which Ordnance Survey operates, and sets out financial arrangements for the agency. The Deputy Prime Minister confirms that the excellent performance of Ordnance Survey, which operates as a Trading Fund from 1999, has shown that working commercially is still the most appropriate way for the agency to operate. As stated in Annex B of the new framework document (July 2004) Business model 2 : The Financial Management of Ordnance Survey is underpinned by 3 principles: The Trading Fund model is one of breaking even one year with another after allowing for operating costs, investment needs, loan repayments and agreed levels of dividend ; In the event that Ordnance Survey is more profitable than forecasted after investing in national interest and customer driven improvements, surpluses in excess of thoses needed to sustain future development can be avoided by lowering prices; Revenue shortfalls will be compensated, where possible, by an appropriate combination of increased productivity, efficiency savings,reduced costs,lower dividends and curtailing loss-making,non-core activities. The costing model : Slightly different models for allocating costs to products and services are applied to the business, consumer and national interest elements of Ordnance Survey operations. The same source data are used for a wide range of core business products and supply of a data or graphic product from the database does not reduce the volume of data available to other customers. Ordnance Survey derives its wide portfolio of business products from a small number of databases. Where possible, costs are allocated directly to specific products, but many data collection, data management and investment costs can only be allocated at the database level. Individual consumer products are more self-contained and a higher percentage of direct costs are identified at product level. However, here too a range of technical costs are allocated as shared costs. Customised and national interest services attract specific labour and other expenses including costs for use of standard products. 2 Annex B of K.U.Leuven (SADL-ICRI) + Hall 21

25 For all costing models, additional investment and fixed costs overheads are applied. A further sales and marketing overhead is added to all but national interest services. OSNI aims to connect to the GI-policy of Ordnance Survey. However, the two organisations differ in their approach as OSNI as it is not a Trading Fund and operates with a different business model (60% cost recovery). Pricing According to the 2005 Re-use of PSI Regulations, a public sector body may charge for allowing re-use.the total income from any charge cannot exceed the sum of the cost of collection, production, reproduction and dissemination of documents and a reasonable return on investment. Where a public sector body charges for re-use, so far as is reasonably practicable, it has to establish standard charges. Where a standard charge for re-use has not been established, the public sector body shall specify in writing the factors that will be taken into account in calculating the charge if requested to do so by an applicant. The GI sector has developed within a robust commercial framework, with central government also adopting a policy of cost recovery for some of its data resources. Funding thus falls upon the users, which ensures that the products are customer driven and that the data is maintained. The UK government directs its agencies to recover costs through charges and other income-generating activities, with some agencies (e.g. HM Land Registry and the Meteorological Office) having cost recovery rates in excess of 100%. In 1999 Ordnance Survey acquired the special status of Trading Fund, which imposes on the organisation a responsibility to make a profit. Its role is crucial in any consideration of the uses and sale of GI in the UK. Because Ordnance Survey copyright data is the matrix for the majority of other public sector GI, the level of pricing has a direct impact on other agencies costs and therefore on their charging levels. The reforms announced towards the end of 2000 include the decision that departments and agencies other than trading funds will move to a policy of marginal cost pricing for their basic raw information (unless a specific statutory enactment indicates otherwise). With marginal cost pricing, the government would bear the costs of obtaining the information for the original government policy purpose, but recipients would be charged any additional costs involved in data preparation and distribution. However, all government bodies, including those for whom the general rule of marginal cost pricing applies, will continue to be free to develop value-added services which compete in the open market place, provided this can be achieved transparently and with a level playing field for all market participants. Public sector copyright owners other than the Crown, such as local authorities and NDPBs, will be required to review their charging, licensing and access strategies with a view to aligning them with Crown copyright. It is however quite clear that all government bodies, including those for whom the general rule of costing applies, should still be encouraged to develop value-added services charged at market prices, preferably through partnership with the private sector. K.U.Leuven (SADL-ICRI) + Hall 22