Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

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.

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.