Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of the potential implications for its policies of the Competition and Markets Authority's decision of 31 March 2026 to launch a Strategic Market Status investigation into Microsoft's business software ecosystem; and what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that the investigation proceeds without delay from its scheduled commencement in May 2026.

This Government is committed to promoting a competitive and innovative digital economy, which is why we prioritised the commencement of the CMA’s new powers in digital markets last year.

The CMA launched its Strategic Market Status designation investigation into Microsoft’s business software ecosystem on the 14 May 2026, this investigation must be completed within 9 months. An indicative timetable of this investigation is published on the CMA’s website. The CMA operates independently of Government, and decisions on which firms to investigate, and how these investigations are conducted rest solely with the CMA.