SOFTWARE IN SCHOOLS

Early day motion 179, tabled 21 November 2006 by John Pugh (Liberal Democrat). Signed by 130 members.

That this House congratulates the Open University and other schools, colleges and universities for utilising free and open source software to deliver cost-effective educational benefit not just for their own institutions but also the wider community; and expresses concern that Becta and the Department for Education and Skills, through the use of outdated purchasing frameworks, are effectively denying schools the option of benefiting from both free and open source software and the value and experience small and medium ICT companies could bring to the schools market.

Signatures by party: Labour 47, Liberal Democrat 37, Conservative 36, DUP 3, Plaid Cymru 2, Scottish National Party 2, Social Democratic and Labour Party 2, Respect 1.