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.

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.