Control of Britain’s national mapping operation has been passed to the Department for Business Innovation and Skills.

Ordnance Survey was previously under Eric Pickles’s Department for Communities and Local Government.

The Southampton-based mapping agency will now be the responsibility of BIS, which is headed by Vince Cable. The move, which also saw the Met Office and Land Registry responsibility taken on by the Liberal Democrat Secretary of State, is in preparation for the establishment of a Public Data Corporation, plans for which were announced in January.

The switch may also help resolve some of difficulties in sharing data between the three organisations, all of which are currently run as Government Trading Funds, which means they should be self-financing.

Vanessa Lawrence, OS’s director general and chief executive, said: “Bringing Ordnance Survey together with some of the other major data providers in Government under BIS will provide an excellent opportunity to share best practice and strengthen our existing relationships.”

BIS Permanent Secretary Martin Donnelly said: “Staff and customers should know that these organisations will continue to deliver a high level of service.”

Decisions on the membership, structure and commercial strategy of the proposed Public Data Corporation will be taken later this year, following a consultation on PDC data policy, which BIS said was due to launch this summer.

BIS Minister Ed Davey will jointly chair with Francis Maude, the Minister for the Cabinet Office, a PDC transition board, which will consider membership, structure and governance for the corporation.

What does all mean for walkers and cyclists? to be honest we are not sure but I suspect paper map prices will increase and the drive to digitise OS maps will continue at pace.

Ordnance Survey was established in 1791 during fears of a French invasion along the English south coast. OS covers Great Britain, with separate organisations mapping Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.