The UK government is rolling back on a proposal to require that interfaces between components of Government purchased software comply with Open Standards (i.e.

The UK government is rolling back on a proposal to require that interfaces between components of Government purchased software comply with Open Standards (i.e. ones without attached patents). This would prevent Open Source components being used (since they don't ever use patented Standards, since there is no vendor to pay royalties) and thus renege on a part of the "Government Transparency" section of the coalition agreement, which stated that Open Source Software should be given a level playing field in government procurement.