Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what arrangements she has in place to reclaim funds paid from the public purse which have been used to help develop teaching resources subsequently sold commercially.

It is the Department for Education’s policy to have copyright in materials produced under contracts or grants assigned to the Crown. Where it benefits the Department we allow contractors/grant recipients to retain ownership of copyright but to provide the Department with a copyright license in the material.

Breaches of copyright in material assigned to the Crown are dealt with by Her Majesty’s Stationery Office. Breaches of contract by contractors or grant recipients, including misuse of material which has been licensed to the Department, are dealt with by the Department subject to legal advice.