[Scottish] [Fwd: Open Source in the public sector]

[Julian Gibson]

All

Don't know if this was widely received but just got it on my return from
holiday.

Cheers
Julian


-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	Open Source in the public sector
Date: 	Fri, 23 Sep 2005 17:59:00 +0100
From: 	<Patrick.Harvie.msp at scottish.parliament.uk>
To: 	<Patrick.Harvie.msp at scottish.parliament.uk>



Colleagues,

I'm emailing you because you have expressed an interest in free / open
source software.  As you may know I have tried on a number of occasions
to raise the issue in Parliament, and my most recent attempt to do so
resulted in a little progress.

What follows is an extract from the report of Question Time on Thursday
the 15th of September, when I asked the Deputy Minister for Finance and
Public Services what he was doing to support the use of free and open
source software in the public sector.  As you will see, a working group
is being convened on the subject within the Scottish Executive.

----------------------------------

*2.** Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green):* To ask the Scottish Executive
what action it is taking to ensure that the public sector gains the
greatest possible benefit from the use of free and open source software.
(S2O-7549)

*The Deputy Minister for Finance and Public Service Reform (George
Lyon):* The Scottish Executive has set up the open source software
working group to examine the role that open source and free software
could play across the Scottish public sector. The group will consider
the implications for Scotland of the Office of Government Commerce
report and the Cabinet Office policy statement on the matter, which were
both published in October 2004.

*Patrick Harvie:* That answer is encouraging, but it would be helpful if
more people in the field were aware that that work is going on. Those to
whom I have spoken continually refer back to United Kingdom Government
policies that the Scottish Executive has referred to and feel that
nothing else is happening.

Scotland could benefit from becoming a leading advocate in free
software—free as in speech, not free as in beer—not only in terms of
better value for money in our public services, but in applying the
principles of free and open source software in as many ways as possible.
I urge the minister to ask all his colleagues in other Government
departments—those involved in education as well as public services—to
consider those benefits.

*George Lyon:* That is why the working group has been set up. Mr Harvie
will be comforted to know that the group will examine the role that open
source and free software could play in current and future projects
across the Scottish public sector—for example, in support of shared
services. The group is scheduled to meet soon and its programme of work
will be agreed at its first meeting. We hope that it will report in
early 2006.

-----------------------------------

I have lodged some written questions to find out about the working
group's remit, membership and so on.  However it may be useful to put
some feelers out into the open source and free software movements in
Scotland, with a view to bringing together a small informal group in
Parliament to help determine the best way of influencing the Executive's
working group.

If you are interested in participating, or if you would like to suggest
someone else who you think could make a valuable contribution to this
debate, I would be very glad to hear back from you.

If you would prefer to contribute to discussions by email rather than by
attending meetings, please feel free to do so.  However if you are able
to attend a meeting to get the ball rolling, please indicate whether
Glasgow or Edinburgh would be a convenient location.  Due to
Parliamentary business, I would hope that a meeting could take place on
a Monday, Tuesday or Friday.

Sincerely,

Patrick Harvie MSP


----------------------------------
Patrick Harvie MSP
Green Group

Room MG.15, Scottish Parliament
Edinburgh, EH99 1SP

Studio 6, St George's Studios
St George's Road, Glasgow, G3 6JA

0131 348 6365 / 0141 332 6405
_patrick.harvie.msp at scottish.parliament.uk_
<mailto:patrick.harvie.msp at scottish.parliament.uk>
___www.patrickharviemsp.com_ <file://www.patrickharviemsp.com>





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