Parliamentary Search

Written question asked by Lord Clement-Jones (Liberal Democrat) on Thursday, 9 July 2026, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 23 July 2026. It was answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra (Labour) on Friday, 17 July 2026 on behalf of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.

Software: Licensing

Question

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Social Market Foundation, Clearing the Air, published on 3 July 2024, which suggested that restrictive software licensing practices may cost the UK public sector £60 million a year.

Answer

While HMG has not issued a formal, comprehensive assessment of the Social Market Foundation's July 2024 report, Clearing the Air, its findings remain highly pertinent to ongoing digital market regulatory efforts.

This report was submitted as evidence to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to support its in-depth investigation into competition within the UK's public cloud infrastructure services market. These insights are currently being reviewed to help shape future public sector commercial practices and guidance.

Furthermore, public sector procurement continues to align with the Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) Playbook. The playbook establishes essential policy reforms aimed at safeguarding against vendor lock-in and maximizing value for money.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
HL1889
Session
2026-27
Subjects
Software Licensing
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk