§ Norman Lamb:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much was paid to Microsoft in licensing fees by his Department and its agencies in each of the last three years; and how much has been budgeted for (a) 2003–04 and (b) 2004–05. [130669]
§ Mr. Caplin:The total expenditure on Microsoft licensing fees is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost; however the Defence Communication Services Agency holds some information on expenditure and this is set out as follows. As the DCSA has steadily taken on responsibility for more of the MOD's IT over the last three years, the early figures should be viewed as representing only a share of MOD's total expenditure. The later figures encompass an increasingly high proportion of it (though still not all).
£ million 2001–02 15.06 2002–03 21.35 2003–04 25.87 £17 million per year has been allocated for a future agreement and negotiations are under way at present. Due to these negotiations it would not be appropriate to give further information on future budgeting and it is therefore withheld under Exemption 2 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.