Covid-19: Support loans to businesses: FOI release

Information requested

1) The amount of money owed to the Scottish Government in Covid-related support loans to businesses which, since the loan was provided, have entered liquidation, administration, or dissolved.

2) The company numbers and names of the companies in question, plus the amount loaned to them, including a date of the loan being granted and the date the Scottish Government was made aware of liquidation, administration, or dissolution.

Response

I include a copy of some of the information you requested.

The answer to your question is as follows, related to 3 businesses which are relevant to the request.

Loan Awarded and Date	Date of administration/liquidation	Notification Received	Outstanding Loan (incl interest)
£550,000 August 2020	Administration 12/8/21	Around 14/9/21	£561,000
£450,000 December 2020	Voluntary Liquidation 30/3/22	30/3/22	£462,040
£850,000 August 2020	Voluntary Liquidation 22/6/22	Around 26/6/22	£728,686

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide some of the information you have requested, related to business names and reference numbers, because an exemption under section Section 33(1)(b) of FOISA applies to that information. Information is exempt under section 33(1)(b) if its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice substantially the commercial interests of any person. “Person” includes a public authority, company and partnership.

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 some public interest in release because it relates to public funding by means of Covid loans to businesses. However, this is outweighed by the public interest in prejudicing substantially the commercial interests of any person. “Person” includes a public authority, company and partnership.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.