§ Mr. Ashdownasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his policy on the purchase or use in any of the Departments of Government for which he is responsible of computers or software which are subject to extraterritorial control as to its use, movement or resale; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. BrookeThe policy of the Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency in relation to US export licence requirements has always been that it would be inappropriate to accept a contractual commitment limiting the freedom of action of the British Government in relation to information technology products to which they hold title.
System software used in connection with computers is normally the subject of a licence which limits use to a particular central processor and which is not transferable except by specific approval of the licensor. This is true of almost all system software licences whether or not they emanate from US suppliers.
Attempts are often made by US suppliers to pass on to Government Departments the export provisions which the US Administration exact on commercial concerns, but the CCTA has not accepted any contracts in relation to its own requirements or those of any Government Department for which it acts which seeks to impose these extraterritorial requirements. This remains true even where the suppliers concerned are operating in very specialised areas of the computer market, notably on security-linked products and where often no alternative source of supply exists.