townx

I would encourage you to write to your local MP (e.g. via TheyWorkForYou.com) and encourage them to sign this Early Day Motion:

http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=31752

Here's the full text of the motion:

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the wider community; and expresses concern that Becta and the Department for Education and Skills, through the use of outdated purchasing frameworks, are effectively denying schools the option of benefiting from both free and open source software and the value and experience small and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.