§ Norman LambTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 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. [130684]
§ Mr. RammellThe amounts paid by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for Microsoft software licences over the past three years were: £0.12 million in 2000–01; £0.61 million in 2001–02; and £0.45 million in 2002–03. Projected spend for 2003–04 is £0.15 million. There is no specific budget for Microsoft software licences in 2004–05, although the overall software budget is £2.3 million.