Event and trade show expenditure

Dear Requester

Request for information – FOI12250

Thank you for your e-mail dated 4th January 2012.

I confirm that Ordnance Survey does hold some of the information you have requested. Where the information is not held this is detailed. Where we consider the information falls under an exemption of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 2000 we detail why. We respond to each of your questions in turn:

The Professional Publishers Association's Business Media Group is interested in ascertaining information regarding your marketing expenditure. I have listed some specific points of curiosity for our members:

1. The number of exhibitions and trade shows (or similar) attended by Ordnance Survey in 2010 and 2011.

Ordnance Survey attended 23 exhibitions/trade shows in 2012 and 20 in 2011.

2. The total budgets (£) for each of these trade shows and exhibitions.

The proposed budget for these shows in 2010 was £139,000 and in 2011 was £123,180.

3. Your proposed expenditure with regards to the above two points for 2012.

For 2012 we have not yet defined the budget for exhibitions and trade shows, which are included in the wider marketing activity plans which have not been finalised, and therefore this information is not held.

However, under Section 16 of the FOIA ‘The duty to provide advice and assistance’ we would anticipate the proposed expenditure to be reduced on the 2011 spend, and in the region of £100,000.

The total marketing budget for Ordnance Survey for the 2011/12 financial year is £2.84 million.

4. The amount/proportion (£) of total marketing budget used to market Ordnance Survey products as opposed to promoting and communicating your public task.

I regret to inform you that Ordnance Survey does not hold this information. The reason we do not hold this is because our financial/accounting systems which we use to determine spend in specific areas, does not differentiate between types of marketing events and exhibitions such as those marketing products against communicating our public task.

5. The approximate profit margins across your published product ranges, and how these surpluses are reinvested or distributed.

Whilst Ordnance Survey does hold information regarding profit margins across our published product ranges, I regret to inform you this information is exempt from disclosure under Section 43 (2) of the FOIA – ‘Commercial Interests’.

We consider this exemption applies because the release of this information would be likely to harm the commercial interests of Ordnance Survey, as this knowledge would provide our competitors with a business advantage of being able to select and therefore target areas in which they could potentially compete.

Under our duty to provide advice and assistance S.16 of the FOIA, it may be helpful to view our standard published accounts information from our 2010-11 Annual Report at this link, where Ordnance Survey reports its results as a whole entity:

http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/docs/annual-reports/ordnance-survey-annual-report-and-accounts-2010-11.pdf

The consolidated income statement on Page 61 of the annual report details Ordnance Survey’s operating profit, with notes 2 and 3 to the accounts providing further analysis of revenue and operating costs.

I confirm Ordnance Survey does hold information on investment and distribution of profit. This information is exempt under Section 21 (1) of the FOIA ‘Information accessible to applicant by other means’ - which is an absolute exemption - and requires no public interest test.

This is because details of cash flow from operating activities which is used to fund dividends payable to the shareholder and fund capital investment programmes can be found in the consolidated cash flow statement on Page 67 of the Annual Report – link detailed above.

To the extent that the Public interest test in section 17 of the Freedom of Information Act applies, we have determined that in relation to your question 5, the public interest is best served by upholding the exemption in the case of profit. This is because there is public interest in ensuring companies are able to compete fairly and without the need to release information which would negatively affect their commercial position.

Your enquiry has been processed according to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 2000. Under Section 17 of the FOIA, we have determined that there is greater public interest in withholding the information in your question 5.

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 above. 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.