Spending breakdown regarding Bute House business rates and utilities: FOI release

Information requested

1. How much money has the Scottish Government paid in business rates on Bute House in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022?

2. Has the Scottish Government claimed back any money for business rates at Bute House due to Covid and did they qualify for business rates relief? If so, a breakdown of how much money they saved/claimed back between 2017 and 2022?

3. How much money did the Scottish Government pay for gas/electricity at Bute House in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022?

4. How much is the gas/electricity estimated to cost over the next year at Bute House?

Response

The answer to your question is:-

1. How much money has the Scottish Government paid in business rates on Bute House in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022?

Financial Year	Rates Applied
2017-18	£36,752.40
2018-19	£37,798.20
2019-20	£38,545, 20
2020-21	£38,171.70 (£37,560.96 paid after rates relief)
2021-22	£37,574.10
2022-23	£38,171.70

2. Has the Scottish Government claimed back any money for business rates at Bute House due to Covid and did they qualify for business rates relief? If so, a breakdown of how much money they saved/claimed back between 2017 and 2022?

Bute House qualified for a 1.6% universal relief in 2020 for all commercial property. The 1.6% relief was automatically applied to all rates bills in 2020-21. A total saving of £610.74 was applied to Bute House rates in 2020-21.

3. The cost of electricity bills for Bute House for the last five financial years:-~

Financial Year	Oct 2017 to March 2018	2018/19	2019/20	2020/21	2021/22
Total Cost of Electricity	£4,968	£5,477	£4,698	£6,660	£8,417

Financial Year	2017/18	2018/19	2019/20	2020/21	2021/22
Total Cost of Gas	£2,210	£3,756	£4,036	£3,219	£3,321

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have some of the information you have requested. The Scottish Government does not have electricity bills before October 2017 and gas bills before March 2017 because the utility bills for Bute House were administered by Historic Environment Scotland at this time.

This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have some of the information you have requested.

However, you may wish to contact Historic Environment Scotland at foi@hes.scot who may be able to help you.

4. How much is the gas/electricity estimated to cost over the next year at Bute House?

Utility	Estimated cost for 2022/23
Electricity	£8,837
Gas	£10,944

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.