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Written question asked by Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru) on Thursday, 26 March 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 13 April 2026 (named day). It was answered by Kate Dearden (Labour) on Monday, 13 April 2026 on behalf of the Department for Business and Trade.


Competition and Markets Authority: Microsoft

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions his Department has had with the Competition and Markets Authority regarding opening a strategic market status investigation into Microsoft and its software licensing practices.

Answer

The Department for Business and Trade engages regularly with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) on competition issues. The CMA is independent of Government, and decisions on initiating strategic market status investigations (SMS) are a matter for the CMA Board. The CMA has announced that it will open a SMS investigation into Microsoft’s business software ecosystem, expected to launch in May 2026.


Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
124190
Session
2024-26
Subjects
Software Licensing Microsoft Competition and Markets Authority
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk