Department for Enterprise
162 FOI requests | Full disclosure rate: 100.0%
The Freedom of Information requests to the Department for Enterprise reveal an authority that is selectively transparent, often disclosing aggregate statistics and operational timelines while rigorously guarding specific financial details and commercial relationships. A dominant theme is the 'commercial interest' exemption, which is repeatedly invoked to withhold data on the Isle of Man TT (357873, 357871) and major business grants (1373637, 522836). While the Department readily provides figures on trademark income (357847) or website development costs (1060362), it consistently refuses to compile or release data on safety expenditures, rescue operations, and the specific financial terms of government support for key industries like Triumph and Eagle Labs. This pattern suggests a strategy of maintaining public confidence in the event's popularity while obscuring the true fiscal risks and subsidies involved.
Key Cases
Case 357873 — This case represents a significant transparency failure regarding public safety. The Department withheld all information on the costs of rescue helicopters, safety equipment, and road barriers for the TT, citing 'commercial interests'. Given the life-or-death nature of these expenditures, the refusal to disclose safety spending is highly contentious.
Case 1060362 — A rare instance of full financial disclosure for a digital project. The Department revealed the exact cost (£137,144.18) of developing and running the 'iomttraces' website and timing system, providing a clear benchmark for the cost of government digital infrastructure that contrasts with the redactions seen in other tech cases.
Case 1373637 — This case highlights the 'economic prejudice' exemption used to shield major corporate relationships. The Department confirmed no grants were given for a new Triumph factory but withheld specific details on grants awarded since 2013, preventing public scrutiny of the financial support given to one of the island's largest employers.
Case 1854325 — A politically sensitive case involving the Chief Minister. The Department withheld details on whether Howard Quayle received public COVID-19 support for his holiday cottages, citing personal data and breach of confidence. This refusal to confirm or deny high-level political financial interests undermines public trust.
Case 357847 — This case provides a crucial baseline for the TT's commercial value. By disclosing the total income generated by licensing the TT trademark from 2012-2016, it reveals the revenue stream that often offsets the massive undisclosed costs seen in other cases, painting a partial picture of the event's financial reality.
Related FOI Stories
The True Cost of the Isle of Man TT — #357847, #357853, #354749, #357861, #357867
Enterprise Development Scheme & Business Support — #357891, #462337, #514142, #522836, #617366
Infrastructure: Broadband, Telecommunications & Digital Strategy — #1206549, #1327609, #1368137, #1470773, #1050263
Land Registry, Housing & Development — #354735, #357743, #357859, #357863, #357885
Immigration, Work Permits & Employment — #357739, #449057, #455234, #498133, #881965
| Date | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-02-05 | Travel Writers | All information sent |
| 2023-11-16 | Visitor numbers and salaries | All information sent |
| 2023-11-16 | Mountain Bike Trail park | All information sent |
| 2023-10-18 | Cube International debts | All information sent |
| 2023-10-17 | Insurance for Delivery Drivers | All information sent |
| 2023-10-02 | yellow card data, who reviewed it | All information sent |
| 2023-08-25 | Cube Partnership/International | All information sent |
| 2023-07-24 | 2023 Work Permit Consultation | All information sent |
| 2023-07-14 | TT insurance policy excess | All information sent |
| 2023-07-13 | Micro Grant Scheme | All information sent |
| 2023-07-07 | public sector work permit exemptions claimed and notified | All information sent |
| 2023-06-20 | Terms of the exclusive distribution rights for IoM TT | All information sent |
| 2023-06-14 | Red Arrows cost | All information sent |
| 2023-05-15 | Expected Economic Benefit from TT Races 2023 | All information sent |
| 2023-04-28 | Revenue received | All information sent |
| 2023-04-11 | TT Fan Park 2023 | All information sent |
| 2023-04-05 | How many applicants for Island Infrastructure Scheme | All information sent |
| 2023-03-23 | The 50 million loan for business | All information sent |
| 2023-03-23 | DfE figures | All information sent |
| 2023-03-20 | Work Permits | All information sent |
| 2023-03-20 | ICE Conference 2023 | All information sent |
| 2023-02-14 | Use of LoveIOM cards in Ramsey | All information sent |
| 2023-01-25 | Isle of Man TT Merchandise Tender | All information sent |
| 2023-01-24 | How many companies have been dissolved | All information sent |
| 2022-10-24 | TT Consultation | All information sent |
| 2022-10-13 | Cost of government conference | All information sent |
| 2022-10-03 | Green Living Grant Scheme | All information sent |
| 2022-09-27 | Amnesty for Ineligible Covid-19 Financial Support Payments | All information sent |
| The requester asked for details on repayments made during the July-August 2022 amnesty for ineligible Covid-19 financial support and confirmation of ongoing formal reviews. The Department for Enterprise disclosed the total committed repayment amount, the sum received to date, and confirmed that a formal review of all claims is currently underway. | ||
| 2022-09-27 | Registered Deaths | All information sent |
| The requester asked for clarification on whether death statistics include residents dying in UK hospitals and requested monthly death data from 2016 to September 2022. The authority confirmed that deaths occurring outside the Isle of Man are not held in their registry and directed the requester to an open data portal for monthly figures, while also correcting previous errors in released data. | ||
| 2022-09-07 | Unpublished Respnses to FOI Requests | All information sent |
| The requester asked for copies of all unpublished Freedom of Information Act responses from the Department for Enterprise since the legislation's introduction. The authority confirmed that all requested information was sent to the requester. | ||
| 2022-08-30 | Love IOM | All information sent |
| A request was made to the Department for Enterprise for data on Love IOM gift card sales, consumer spending, government incentives, and marketing costs between September 2021 and August 2022. The authority disclosed all requested information, providing specific figures for card purchases, monthly credit totals, incentive expenditures, and marketing service fees. | ||
| 2022-07-29 | Green Living Grants | All information sent |
| The request sought statistics on applications, approvals, and payments for the Isle of Man Green Living Grant scheme as of July 31, 2022. The Department for Enterprise disclosed that while nearly 2,000 energy audits were received, only two grant applications had been approved and no payments had been made due to a policy review. | ||
| 2022-07-26 | Number of employees contracted for the Manx Home Energy Audit | All information sent |
| The requester asked for the number of domestic energy assessors employed by each company conducting Manx home energy audits. The authority responded that this information had already been disclosed in a previous request and directed the requester to search for case number 2348565 on the FOI website. | ||
| 2022-07-11 | CEG Orbit Report | All information sent |
| The Department for Enterprise disclosed the full preliminary casualty investigation report regarding the grounding of the cargo vessel CEG Orbit off the Isle of Man coast in August 2021. The document details the sequence of events, including the Chief Officer leaving the bridge due to illness, which led to the vessel running aground during a spring tide. | ||
| 2022-06-13 | TT Plus | All information sent |
| A request was made to the Department for Enterprise for statistics on TT+ website registrations and paid subscriptions for the 2022 racing season. The authority disclosed that 131,135 people registered and 57,020 paid the subscription fee. | ||
| 2022-06-06 | TT23 | All information sent |
| The requester sought the results of a public consultation regarding proposed changes to the Isle of Man TT schedule from 2023 onwards. The Department for Enterprise disclosed the full consultation response, including a summary of 37 submissions and anonymized individual feedback. | ||
| 2022-04-22 | Finance Isle of Man event sponsorship costs 2021 | All information sent |
| The request sought detailed cost breakdowns for Finance Isle of Man sponsored events in 2021, including sponsorship fees, travel, and accommodation. The Department for Enterprise disclosed that 11 events were sponsored with a total of £87,100 in fees and £24,497.97 in travel costs, providing specific details for several events. | ||
| 2022-04-19 | Registered Deaths | All information sent |
| The requester asked for the number of registered deaths in the Isle of Man for December 2021 through April 2022. The Department for Enterprise provided figures for December 2021 to March 2022 but noted that April 2022 data would not be available until May 2022. | ||
| 2022-04-18 | LoveIOM gift card recipients | All information sent |
| The requester asked for the total number of LoveIOM gift cards purchased since their public launch in November 2021. The Department for Enterprise disclosed that 2,027 cards had been bought as of May 3, 2022, and explained the platform's purpose to support the local economy. | ||
| 2022-04-08 | Aircraft deregistrations | All information sent |
| The requester asked for records of all vehicles deregistered by the Isle of Man Aircraft and Ship Registries from 20 February 2022 onwards. The Department for Enterprise responded by providing full lists of deregistered aircraft registration marks and ship IMO/Official numbers in appendices. | ||
| 2022-04-08 | Love IOM | All information sent |
| The Department for Enterprise disclosed details regarding the 'Love IOM' initiative, confirming that KBH Limited was appointed to deliver gift card services and marketing, with all work completed to standard. The response provided a breakdown of payments made to the main supplier and other vendors between June 2021 and April 2022. | ||
| 2022-03-24 | List of DEA Assessors | All information sent |
| The request sought a list of Domestic Energy Assessors on the Green Living Grant Scheme framework, including their names, addresses, qualifications, and employment status. The Department for Enterprise disclosed the names of three businesses and their assessors, confirmed the required qualification, but could not provide specific employment arrangements between companies and individuals. | ||
| 2022-03-22 | publication of summarised employment rights | All information sent |
| The requester asked for information on the publication of summarised employment rights under Section 172 of the Employment Act 2006 for the most recent three years. The authority disclosed that the section was repealed in 2017 and provided a 2014 document detailing the proposal to repeal it due to high costs, while noting that summaries are now distributed via booklets and the website. | ||
| 2022-03-09 | Green Living Grant Scheme | All information sent |
| A request was made to the Department for Enterprise regarding the qualifications, employment status, and payment rates for Domestic Energy Assessors under the Green Living Grant Scheme. The authority disclosed that assessors require a Level 3 Diploma, can be either employed or self-employed, and are paid fixed rates of £225 for initial audits and £50 for subsequent audits. | ||
| 2022-03-09 | Information surrounding surveys conducted for The Green Living Grant | All information sent |
| A request was made for statistics regarding the Isle of Man's Green Living Grant, including applicant numbers, survey counts, and staffing details. The Department for Enterprise disclosed that while over 1,500 applications were received, no grant funding had been issued yet, and surveys are conducted by external contractors rather than direct staff. | ||
| 2022-03-08 | Financial Assistance Scheme | All information sent |
| The requester asked if the Financial Assistance Scheme is statutory and for total payout figures. The Department for Enterprise clarified that the scheme operates under the Enterprise Act 2008 without requiring a specific signed scheme document, and disclosed that over £37 million has been paid out since 2009. | ||
| 2022-02-22 | Eagle Labs Subsidies | All information sent |
| The requester asked for an update on the payout status of a £324,062.50 underwriting figure for Eagle Labs and details on subsidy reduction measures. The authority's response contained only standard procedural information regarding complaints and appeals, with no actual data disclosed. | ||
| 2022-02-17 | Strategic Capacity Scheme - Further Information | All information sent |
| The requester asked for the names of companies associated with successful claims for Strategic Capacity Scheme (SCS) rounds 1 through 8. The Department for Enterprise confirmed that all requested information was sent and noted that the supporting data had been published online. | ||
| 2022-02-11 | Taxpayer Funding to Play Computer Games | All information sent |
| The request sought all records regarding the sponsorship of X7 Esports by the Digital Isle of Man, including contracts, financial records, and correspondence. The Department for Enterprise disclosed all information, providing a timeline of 27 items covering the proposal, board approval, conflict of interest declarations, and contract finalization. | ||
| 2022-02-03 | Locate | All information sent |
| The request sought total costs, staffing levels, advertising breakdowns, and ROI metrics for the Isle of Man's 'Locate' function since its inception. The Department for Enterprise disclosed detailed financial and staffing data but could not provide specific figures on the number of island residents who relocated directly as a result of the campaign. | ||