Taxpayers don't pay directly for the Ordnance Survey. "It is a separate government department that is now financed through data licensing rather than direct fu

Taxpayers don't pay directly for the Ordnance Survey. "It is a separate government department that is now financed through data licensing rather than direct funding from the tax payer" http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/media/features/tradingfund.html http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/media/features/tra... Having said that, public sector organisations licence data like everyone else, and that money does come from the taxpayer. However, if the Ordnance Survey were a private company then this situation would be the same.