Parliamentary Search

Written question asked by Samantha Niblett (Labour) on Friday, 29 May 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 4 June 2026 (named day). It was answered by Kate Dearden (Labour) on Thursday, 4 June 2026 on behalf of the Department for Business and Trade.

Microsoft: Artificial Intelligence

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of Microsoft's bundling of Copilot into software licensing contracts on (a) competition in the software market and (b) costs for small and medium-sized enterprises.

Answer

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is currently conducting a Strategic Market Status investigation into Microsoft’s business software ecosystem. As part of this investigation, the CMA is considering a range of issues, including software bundling practices, interoperability, licensing arrangements, and their potential impacts on competition, including for small and medium-sized enterprises.

The Government has not made a separate assessment of these impacts. It is for the CMA, as the UK’s independent competition authority, to assess the evidence and determine whether any interventions are necessary.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
4837
Session
2026-27
Subjects
Contracts Software Costs Small businesses Microsoft Artificial intelligence
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk