Online services

I am researching the status of UK Government online services and would like to ask you some questions, if I may, under the Freedom of Information Act:

1. Could you tell me what public services you, or your agencies and contractors, currently provide online?

2. Could you tell me what public services you, or your agencies and contractors, are planning to put online and what the status of these plans are?

3. Can you tell me if you have a strategy to switch the delivery of public services from higher cost channels such as face to face meetings or counter services, call centre and correspondence/form submission to lower cost online delivery? If so, can I have a copy of this strategy?

4. For each of the public services you, or your agencies and contractors, currently deliver online can you tell me what the take-up levels are and how these compare to the original business case? Can you also tell me the volumes delivered through the online channel versus alternative channels for the same public service?

5. For each of the public services you, or your agencies and contractors, currently deliver online can you tell me what the costs per transaction are?

6. Finally, can you tell me what public services you, or your agencies and contractors, currently deliver without an online delivery channel that could be provided online if a business case could justify it?

Thank you for your e-mail dated 19^th May 2011. We respond to each of your questions below.  Please be aware that not all the information Ordnance Survey holds has been provided with this response, as some of it is not held and other parts fall under an exemption of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 2000. This is detailed where applicable.

1. I confirm Ordnance Survey does hold this information. Ordnance Survey provides a number of online public services connected with the provision of geographical information to users of all descriptions.

These include ordering and payment facilities for the acquisition of digital and printed mapping and other geographical information; access and download of data related to geographical positioning services, access to viewing and download of digital geographical data provided under the OS OpenData™ service, access to an Applications Programme Interface – OS OpenSpace®, and a range of other reference and educational resources.

Full details of these may be found on the Ordnance Survey website:

www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk

2. Since Ordnance Survey is a Government Trading Fund operating in a competitive marketplace, the development of products and service plans is a matter of commercial confidentiality to Ordnance Survey until such time as it is commercially appropriate for Ordnance Survey to release details to users. 

Hence any information held by Ordnance Survey of this nature is exempt under Section 43 (2) of the Freedom of Information Act ‘Commercial Interests’ and Ordnance Survey will not be releasing such information.

3. The nature of Ordnance Survey’s business means that a variety of means are appropriate for the delivery to users of its products and services.

Where appropriate plans are in place to extend or replace more traditional means of supply and dissemination of services, with online offerings which may be complementary or replacements for existing forms.

Ordnance Survey does not have a strategy detailing the switching of public services from higher cost channels to lower cost online delivery, therefore this information is not held.

4. Ordnance Survey does hold some information detailing the ‘take up’ of online services.

However, I regret to inform you that this information is exempt under Section 43 (2) of the Freedom if Information Act (FOIA) 2000 ‘Commercial Interests’.

We consider this exemption applies because the GIS industry in which Ordnance Survey competes is a small, specialist and competitive market. Ordnance Survey strives to maintain an even handed stance in the market place, and we consider that disclosure of ‘take up’ information to individuals or small groups could provide those individuals or groups with an unfair competitive advantage, and could provide a competitive edge to other organisations developing or offering similar services. Therefore we will not be releasing this information to you.

Ordnance Survey does hold some information in relation to transaction costs of services delivered online.

This information is exempt under Section 43 (2) of the Freedom if Information Act (FOIA) 2000 ‘Commercial Interests’.

Disclosing financial costs of this nature would harm the commercial interests of Ordnance Survey and third parties.  This is because in some situations, Ordnance Survey procures the services of another party to host or provide an online delivery service. 

Where Ordnance Survey provides this service, it would be detrimental to future plans to procure similar services should we release the costs currently associated with online transactions.

6. There are areas where Ordnance Survey does not deliver services online; however there would be many deciding factors before we would consider using an online platform for these services, and a business case alone would not substantiate the need.  This information is therefore not held.

To the extent that the Public interest test applies (section 17 FOIA), we have determined that in the circumstances of question 2, 4 and 5, the public interest in withholding the information outweighs that of disclosure as there is public interest in ensuring companies are able to compete fairly, and there is also public interest in ensuring that there is competition for public sector contracts.

Please note that your enquiry has been processed according to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 2000. If you are unhappy with our response, you may raise an appeal to our Appeals Officer at:

FOI Appeals Officer
Customer Service Centre
Ordnance Survey
Adanac Drive
SOUTHAMPTON
SO16 0AS

Please include the reference number below. The Appeals Officer will ensure that the process has been followed correctly, questioning any decisions taken regarding the original response and recommending disclosure of additional information if appropriate.

Thank you for your enquiry.

Reference number: FOI11166/May 2011