back to article UKCloud latest to sign Memorandum of Understanding with UK.gov ahead of cloud mega framework

UKCloud has agreed specified discounts on a range of fluffy white services - public, private and hybrid - under a framework agreement with Crown Commercial Services (CCS), the procurement agency acting on behalf of British government. Microsoft and Google have each already penned a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with CCS as …

  1. Pascal Monett Silver badge
    Coat

    "canned statements"

    I wonder if they have a template for that.

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    UKCloud

    Does it have any connections with Cummings, Johnson or any of their mates ?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: UKCloud

      Not on the face of it

      https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/07619797/officers

  3. Paul Smith

    vowed to "never practise any form of tax avoidance".

    Why the f*ck would they do that? If they are paying tax that they can avoid then they are just increasing their costs unnecessarily and wasting shareholder value. The Government and the HRMC set the rules that companies must obey. If the can't be bothered to close the loopholes that companies take advantage of, then it is a bit stupid to blame the companies for following the rules that they set.

    1. Endymion

      Re: vowed to "never practise any form of tax avoidance".

      Totally agree.

      Tax avoidance is part of the fiduciary duty of a companie's officers, and it is board's resposibility to conduct tax planning so as to maximise profit for shareholder by reducing tax liabilities. Tax avoidance is completely legal - if UK Gov doesn't like people playing according to HMCE rules, then change them. so-called 'aggressive tax avoidance' is nothing of the sort - it's just companies being better at this game than the treasury and HMCE. A simple and transparent tax system would reduce the ability of UK Gov to play politically motivated games with the system, but also reducethe opportunities for their cronies to benefit in a way that the ordinary people can't, which isn't good for donations... it has ever been thus.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: "fiduciary duty ... board's responsibility ... to maximise profit"

        No, it isn't. That's a (convenient) myth (for sociopaths to hide behind).

        There is no legal requirement to do any such thing in general (UK) company law, unless it is added in the company's formation documents.

        1. Robert Grant

          Re: "fiduciary duty ... board's responsibility ... to maximise profit"

          Businesses making money is a convenient myth for hiding sociopaths?

          I think you're confusing that with your "anonymous" mask.

          1. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: making money is a convenient myth

            You are confusing what I said with what you thought I said.

            If you re-read it, "making money" and "maximising profit" are not the same thing. I have no problem with the former, only the latter. There is a difference, and it is one of intent.

  4. amanfromMars 1 Silver badge

    For those flush in overseas slush funding.

    Sources close to the public sector told El Reg that UKCloud had agreed to charge clients in pounds sterling,

    Can clients pay in foreign currency [at normal market conversion rates] to the value of the pounds sterling charge? It offers clients certain very lucrative advantages. Surely that is not deemed problematical?

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Facepalm

    Just another memo

    A Memorandum of Understanding just provides companies with guidelines that they will interpret in their best interest and issue their own canned responses when they fail to meet the guidelines.

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Do they pay tax?

    Unless I’m mis-reading their latest set of accounts (perfectly possible, happy to be corrected), I believe that UKCloud aren’t paying any taxes at all - instead, they’re deferring / claiming tax credit?

    https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/07619797/filing-history

    Page 21...

  7. crayon

    "given assurance of data sovereignty"

    Means nothing and is worth nothing unless backed up by the threats of clearly defined penalties on breaching said assurance.

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