Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Cabinet Office will be providing evidence on Microsoft licensing practices and other related matters to the Competition and Markets Authority for its Strategic Market Status investigation into Microsoft’s business software ecosystem.

Answered by Lord Leong - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is responsible for gathering evidence relevant to its Strategic Market Status investigations and engages with a wide range of stakeholders. Government departments will assist the CMA as far as possible where the CMA requests that they do so, including providing evidence to the CMA where appropriate.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Cabinet Office will ensure other departments that are Microsoft IT customers will supply evidence on Microsoft licensing practices and other related matters to the Competition and Markets Authority for its Strategic Market Status investigation into Microsoft’s business software ecosystem.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Captain of the King's Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard (HM Household) (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Lords)

The Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) investigations are conducted independently under its own statutory powers. Individual government departments are responsible for responding directly to the CMA’s information requests.

The Cabinet Office continues to facilitate engagement with the investigation by raising awareness and encouraging departments to participate through existing Government Commercial Function (GCF) and Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) communication channels.

The CMA expects to publish provisional findings in late 2026, triggering a public consultation. Departments will then be encouraged to review these findings and submit evidence on the potential impact of proposed remedies on government digital projects.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Competition and Markets Authority’s Strategic Market Status investigation into Microsoft’s business software ecosystem, what assessment they have made of (1) the extent to which software licensing restrictions and cloud lock-in may influence public sector choice of enterprise AI tools, and (2) any implications for competition and value for money.

Answered by Lord Leong - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)

The CMA expects to publish its final decision report on the Strategic Market Status investigation into Microsoft’s business software by February 2027. The CMA has already taken action in the cloud market outside of the investigation and secured voluntary commitments from Amazon and Microsoft, which will improve interoperability, reduce data egress fees and make switching easier in cloud services.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will advise the Competition and Markets Authority to publish a public roadmap for the Strategic Market Status investigation into Microsoft’s business software ecosystem; and what steps they are taking to ensure that the investigation is delivered at pace.

Answered by Lord Leong - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)

The Competition and Markets Authority is responsible for operating the digital markets regime. The length of Strategic Market Status investigations can vary due to a number of factors but must be completed within the statutory time limits imposed by the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2025. The CMA has stated its intention to publish a roadmap.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure the Competition and Markets Authority develops potential conduct requirements in parallel with the Strategic Market Status investigation, to ensure remedies for anti-competitive licensing are implemented immediately upon any designation.

Answered by Lord Leong - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)

The Competition and Markets Authority is responsible for operating the digital markets regime, including when to implement any conduct requirements. The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 does not prevent the CMA from designing remedies in parallel with Strategic Market Status investigations.