---

Solicitor-General

Answer

Norman Lamb: To ask the Solicitor-General how much was paid to Microsoft in licensing fees by the Law Officer's Department and its agencies in each of the last three years; and how much has been budgeted for (a) 2003-04 and (b) 2004-05. [130673] The Solicitor-General: CPS Headquarters spent the following on Microsoft licences (approximately): 2000-01--£2.5 million 2001-02--£1.2 million 2002-03--nil The CPS has no specific budget for Microsoft licences for 2003-04 and 2004-05. Since 2002, all IT services have been outsourced to LogicaCMG who purchase and manage Microsoft licences on behalf of the Crown Prosecution Service. There may have been some expenditure on Microsoft licences by the Crown Prosecution Service locally, however figures could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Although HMCPSI is not a part of the CPS, it benefits from being part of the CPS IT network. Information relating to payments to Microsoft for licensing fees in that context is subsumed in that relating to the CPS return. HMCPSI also has a very small number of its own PCs. Expenditure on Microsoft fees for these machines in the last three years is as follows: 2000-01--nil 2001-02--nil 2002-03--£773 HMCPSI has no budget for Microsoft fees in 2003-04. The budget for 2004-05 has not been agreed, but it will not include a specific budget for Microsoft fees. The Serious Fraud Office spend on Microsoft licenses is as follows: 2000-01--£3,000 2001-02--£16,000 2002-03--£20,000 2003-04--£250,000 est. Expenditure by the Treasury Solicitor's Department on Microsoft licenses since 2001-02 has been: 2000-01--£36,000 2001-02--£37,000 2002-03--£71,000 2003-04--£113,000 (Forecast outturn) 2004-05--£52,000 (Budget). These payments have been made to OGC preferred suppliers under the Microsoft Select Agreement. The accounts kept by the Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers do not provide separate costs for the purchase of Microsoft licences. However, LSLO usually acquires licences through the purchase of new computers with software already installed and licensed.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

130673; 411 c328-9W;411 c332-3W

Session

2002-03

Subjects

Software Finance Fees and charges Licensing Expenditure Government departments Solicitor General Microsoft

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk