HC Deb 21 October 2003 vol 411 c546W
Norman Lamb

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 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. [130667]

Yvette Cooper

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister was created on 29 May 2002. The following table summarises Microsoft licensing fees incurred by the Office since its creation, and those incurred by Agencies for the period requested:

Agency Spend 2000–01 Spend 2001–02 Spend 2002–03
ODPM Central n/a n/a 346,800
Fire Service College Prior to 2002, licenses supplied from the Home Office 6,940
The Rent Service 0 0 0
QEII Conference Centre 6,200 11,900 7,200
Planning Inspectorate 13,000 185,000 67,000

Budgets for spend in 2003/04 and in future years are withheld on grounds of commercial confidentiality.