Government backsliding on open source

Lib Dem Treasury spokesperson Julia Goldsworthy said: “The government's performance on open source is shocking. It has reports from 2001 indicating the benefits and yet it has failed to follow its own recommendations and continues to engage in proprietary lock in with major corporations."

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"The government announced and re-announced these plans years ago to great fanfare. The sad fact both for open source industry and the taxpayer is that the plans have not been fully implemented.”

Goldsworthy is set to challenge Cabinet Office minister Ed Miliband on the use of open source software across government – and its potential to produce efficiency savings – in the forthcoming parliamentary session.

Earlier this year, the Conservatives also attacked the government over open source when shadow chancellor George Osborne argued that greater use of open source software in the public sector could save £600m a year.

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