To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the application of the Office of Fair Trading report on Commercial Use of Public Sector Information to the UK Hydrographic Office. (154387)

I expect the UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) to participate fully in the further work identified in the Government response. This includes the provision of information to HM Treasury's economic study. The study, which is being conducted by Cambridge University, aims to provide cost and benefit information for possible alternative models of supply and charging for public sector information by Trading Funds. The completed study is due to be submitted to Government in mid November 2007.

The UKHO will also, if requested by DBERR and HMT, provide input to their work on the economics of information pricing.

The recommendations included in the market study report will be used to inform licensing policy following completion of the review of the UKHO's structure and ownership. I expect to announce the outcome of the review early in 2008.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the application of the economic review of trading funds to the UK Hydrographic Office. (154388)

I assume that this question refers to the Government response to the Power of Information report (recommendations 9, 10 and 12). The Government intend to undertake independent economic work on the costs and benefits of the current trading fund charging model. As one of the five largest trading funds, I expect the UKHO to respond positively to any requests received for information to support this work.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the review of the UK Hydrographic Office is expected to be published. (154389)

I commissioned a study of the structure and ownership options for the UK Hydrographic Office which will report to me by the end of the year. I will make a statement to the House in due course.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions Ministers and officials in his Department working on the review of the UK Hydrographic Office have had with HM Treasury on the recently commissioned economic review of trading funds. (154390)

In response to the OFT review of Public Information, and the Cabinet Office Power of Information Review, HM Treasury have commissioned work to assess the economic benefit from information created by Trading Funds. HM Treasury officials have requested assistance from the Chief Executives of the Met Office and Hydrographic Office to support the study into availability and charging of public information. MOD officials over seeing the work of the MOD trading funds, including the UKHO ownership and structure options review, will be available to support the HM Treasury Study.