Scottish Government alcohol company financial interests: FOI release

Information requested

You asked us to confirm whether the Scottish Government (either directly or through any affiliated public investment body or fund) holds or has held shares, bonds, or other financial interests in companies whose primary business is the manufacture or sale (including wholesalers and distributors) of alcohol products (e.g. whisky, beer, spirits, wine).

If so, please list:

• The name of the company
• Type of financial holding
• Value and dates of investment
• Response to your request

Response

I enclose some of the information you requested.

Ordinarily, financial investments of this type are made through our enterprise agencies, or the Scottish National Investment Bank.

We are aware of a financial interest in the form of a loan issued by Highlands and Islands Enterprise to MacMillan Spirits for £785,000, approved on 26 March 2024.

Some of the information you have requested is available from the agencies' annual reports and accounts, which can be found at the links below. These detail significant investments.

• Highlands and Islands Enterprise - annual-report-2023-24.pdf (note 14)
• Scottish Enterprise - Scottish Enterprise Annual Report and Accounts (note 26)
• South of Scotland Enterprise - sose-annual-report-and-accounts-23-24.pdf
• Scottish National Investment Bank - SNIB079 Annual Report 2024_Final_Signed.pdf

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.

The Scottish Government does not have all of the information you have asked for because the agencies are responsible for maintaining their own financial records.

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

You may wish to contact the agencies directly, at the addresses below, for the information requested.

• Highlands and Islands Enterprise - customer.service@hient.co.uk
• Scottish Enterprise - FOI@scotent.co.uk
• South of Scotland Enterprise - FOI@sose.scot
• Scottish National Investment Bank - bankinformation@thebank.scot

About FOI

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