§ Brian WhiteTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his policy is towards using open source software; and what percentage is used in his Department. [69327]
§ Dr. MoonieSoftware applications used in the Ministry of Defence are selected on their ability to meet business needs, taking full account of value for money, long-term viability, security and interoperability. The MOD currently has no explicit policy on the use of open source software, but does follow the Government Open Source Software policy published and announced in Parliament on 22 July 2002. This policy is available on the e-Envoy website (www.e-envoy.gov.uk) or the Office of Government Commerce website (www.ogc.gov.uk). A record of open source software in use across the Department is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.