Response to Brian White
From OpenEGov
MP Brian White's Question to the Departments (November 2004)
Brian White: To ask the [ insert Department name here ] what percentage of the Department's (a) implemented and (b) planned computer systems use open source software; and what plans are in place to raise this level.
and the replies...
DfES
Charles Clarke: Currently less than 1 per cent. of the Department's computer systems use Open Source Software in the Department. Also none of the planned computer systems will make use of Open Source Software.
Our future use of Open Source Software will follow the Government policy as published in version 2 of the Open Source Software policy on 28 October 2004.
The draft policy document is available for viewing at http://www.govtalk.gov.uk
Culture, Media and Sport
Richard Caborn: My Department uses a number of open source applications but it would not be meaningful to express those in terms of a percentage of computer systems.
My Department was involved with the recent OGC led review of open source and our future plans will take account of the revised Open Source Software Policy Version 2.0.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Chris Mullin: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) currently makes no significant use of open source software.
It is the FCO's practice to procure IT on the basis of best value for money. In doing this we are careful not to exclude open source solutions, but we have no specific objective to increase our use of open source software.
Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Alun Michael: The information is as follows: (a) The percentage of implemented computer systems in Defra that use open source operating systems such as Linux is small, less than 5 per cent., but many Defra systems comply with the Government eGIF standards that allow easy and open exchange of data. (b) Defra has recently outsourced its IT operations. There are no targets imposed on the supplier to implement, a level playing field will apply in procurement of software solutions. The IT supplier is bound to work within eGIF standards and many of the planned IT systems will include a significant proportion of open source code. In addition the supplier will be conducting a number of additional pieces of work to test the business benefits to Defra of extending the use of open source.
Northern Ireland
Paul Murphy: There is minimal use of Open Source Software (OSS) among the Northern Ireland Departments.
To date, only the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) and the Department of Finance and Personnel Business Development Service operate a very limited open source system which comprises products such as Linux, Apache and MYSQL.
There are no immediate plans to increase usage of OSS throughout the Northern Ireland Departments at present. However, the possible future use of Open Source will be considered as part of the forthcoming ICT Strategy for the Northern Ireland Civil Service which is to be commissioned early in 2005.
Treasury
Stephen Timms: The use of open source software is below 1 per cent. in both implemented and planned computer systems. Treasury, Customs and Revenue, follow the Government's published policy, considering open source solutions alongside proprietary ones in IT procurements, and awarding contracts on a value for money basis. The policy can be viewed at the UK Govtalk website.
Office of the Deputy Prime Minister
Phil Hope: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister does not have statistics on the use of open source software, but to date it is very limited. We follow established Government policy, which is to consider open source software options alongside proprietary ones in IT procurements on a level playing field basis, and award contracts on a value for money, case-by-case basis. The policy can be viewed at www.govtalk.gov.uk
International Development
Hilary Benn: Less than 5 per cent. of DFID's current computer systems use Open Source Software (OSS) components. It is expected that by 2007, up to 70 per cent. of DFID's computer systems will include some OSS components, using the definition adopted by the Open Source Initiative. DFID's policies for software procurement follow the Office of Government Commerce's "level playing field" policy in relation to OSS. This does not require the raising of levels of OSS usage in Government, rather that Government considers OSS solutions alongside proprietary ones in IT procurements and that contracts should be awarded on a value for money, case by case basis. The policy can be viewed at www.govtalk.gov.uk
Constitutional Affairs
Christopher Leslie: My Department's procurement of software solutions follows the 'level playing field' Government Open Source Software (OSS) Policy. The Government consider OSS solutions alongside proprietary ones in IT procurements and that contracts should be awarded on a value for money, case by case basis. The OSS policy can be viewed at www. govtalk.gov.uk
My Department works with its suppliers so that OSS is used, where appropriate, in the developments currently under way or under consideration. For example, my Department makes use of OSS in the hosting of its main websites.
Where OSS is used it is with a mixture of bespoke and proprietary software in a variety of environments, which makes it impossible meaningfully to estimate the percentages attributable to each type of software.
Health
Rosie Winterton: The Department does not use open source software (OSS) on any of its implemented or planned computer systems.
Software procurement by the Department follows the 'level playing field' Government OSS Policy, which does not require the raising of levels of OSS usage in Government; rather that Government considers OSS solutions alongside proprietary ones in information technology procurements and that contracts should be awarded on a value for money, case by case basis. This policy can be viewed at www.govtalk.gov.uk.
Cabinet Office
Ruth Kelly: There are no statistics currently available on the percentage of open source software (OSS) used in or planned to be used in the Cabinet Office. The Cabinet Office follows the Government's OSS Policy (version 2 was published on the 28 October 2004), which requires that Government consider OSS solutions alongside proprietary ones in information technology procurements and awards contracts on a value for money basis. It does not therefore have plans in place to raise the level of OSS use, but rather will make software procurement decisions on a case by case basis.
