Loans or equity investments to private businesses: FOI release.

FOI reference: FOI/18/02172   
Date received: 3 August 2018   
Date responded: 3 September 2018
Information requested

A list of the quantum of loans or equity investments (specified in each case if a loan or an investment) over £100,000 provided by the Scottish Government to private sector businesses from January 2016 to date (as recent information as possible). The information was also to include the interest rate (if applicable), how much funding was provided, the repayment profile and the private sector entity that benefitted from the loan / investment.

Response

Most of the information that was requested is contained in the attached Appendix.

Some of the information requested is available from Energy Savings Trust website http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/scotland/grants-loans/district-heating-loan. Under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. If, however, you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the website(s) listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide some of the information you have requested because exemptions under sections 33(1)(b) (commercial interests) and 33(2)(b) (financial interests) of FOISA apply to that information. The reasons why that exemptions apply are explained below.

Reasons for not providing information

An exemption applies, subject to the public interest test.
An exemption under sections 33(1)(b) (commercial interests) and 33(2)(b) (financial interests) of FOISA applies to some of the information you have requested. This exemption applies because disclosure of this particular information would, or would be likely to, prejudice substantially the financial interests of the Scottish Government and the commercial interests of companies that have received loans/investments from the Scottish Government.
This exemption is subject to the ‘public interest test’. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exemption. We recognise that there is a public interest in disclosing information as part of open and transparent government, and to help account for the expenditure of public money. However, there is a greater public interest in protecting the financial interests of the Scottish Government and the commercial interests of companies which have received loans from the Scottish Government

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at FOI responses

 

foi 18-02172 Appendix

File type

1 page PDF

File size

195.2 kB