Department for Enterprise
18 FOI requests | Full disclosure rate: 900.0%
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-27 | Road Racing Insurance cost 2025/6 | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| A request was made for insurance costs for the 2025 and 2026 Isle of Man road racing events (TT, Manx Grand Prix, Southern 100), but the Department for Enterprise withheld all information citing commercial and economic exemptions. | ||
| 2025-06-23 | Visit IOM Chairman Resignation | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| A request was made for correspondence regarding the resignation of the Visit Isle of Man Board Chairman, including his reasons and resignation letter. The Department for Enterprise refused to disclose any information, citing an absolute exemption for personal data under Section 25 of the Freedom of Information Act 2015. | ||
| 2025-04-08 | KWC | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| A request for internal and external communications regarding a £2.2m loan to King William's College was refused as all information was held but exempt under Section 30 of the Freedom of Information Act 2015. | ||
| 2024-12-31 | Settlement Agreements | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| The requester asked for statistics and a template regarding Settlement Agreements issued by the Department for Enterprise since September 2021. The authority refused to disclose the data citing personal data exemptions and stated that no blank template exists as agreements are case-specific. | ||
| 2022-05-04 | Open Skies | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| A request was made for the publication of a review into the Isle of Man's air services referenced by the Minister for Enterprise in November 2021. The Department for Enterprise refused to disclose the information, citing that it relates to the formulation of government policy and that releasing it would be contrary to the public interest. | ||
| 2021-06-21 | Rearyt Vradda, Ballafesson Road, Port Erin | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| A request was made for details on financial support for the Rearyt Vradda glamping site proposal in Port Erin. The Department for Enterprise refused to disclose any information, citing an absolute exemption under section 26 of the Freedom of Information Act 2015 to prevent a breach of confidence. | ||
| 2021-06-18 | Chief Minister's financial interests | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| A request was made to confirm if Chief Minister Howard Quayle received public COVID-19 financial support for his holiday cottages and if it was declared. The Department for Enterprise withheld the specific details regarding grants or loans received, citing exemptions for personal data and breach of confidence, though they confirmed which schemes they administer. | ||
| 2019-09-03 | Work permit request | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| A request was made regarding work permit details for a Faculty Manager Wellbeing role at the University College Isle of Man, including applicant numbers and interview history. The Department for Enterprise refused to disclose any information, citing absolute exemptions for personal data under the Freedom of Information Act 2015. | ||
| 2019-05-14 | Furbate Limited / the Hubb funding | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| A request was made for details on government funding provided to Furbate Limited for 'the Hubb', but the Department for Enterprise refused to disclose the specific amounts. | ||
| 2018-07-10 | Micro business scheme | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| The requester asked for the names and grant amounts of businesses supported by the Micro Business Scheme for 2017/18 and 2018 to date. The Department for Enterprise withheld this specific information citing an exemption regarding economic interests but provided aggregate statistics on applications and training numbers. | ||
| 2018-05-08 | Grant | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| The requester asked for details on grants and payments under the £50 million Enterprise Development Scheme, specifically regarding Spark Impact. The Department for Enterprise clarified that the fund provides loans or equity rather than grants and withheld specific 2017/18 data under Section 41 as it is scheduled for future publication in government accounts. | ||
| 2018-04-09 | Tourist Advertising budget | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| The requester asked for a breakdown of the 2016-2017 tourist advertising budget between on-island and off-island spending, including payee details. The Department for Enterprise refused to send the information directly, citing that it was already reasonably accessible via a public Hansard document. | ||
| 2017-10-31 | Current value of cruise passenger visiting Isle of Man | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| A request for the calculated value of a cruise passenger visiting the Isle of Man was initially withheld under a future publication exemption but was subsequently disclosed following an internal review. | ||
| 2017-10-28 | Deloitte report on berth for cruise ships | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| A request was made for a Deloitte report on deep water berths for cruise ships, but the Department for Enterprise refused to disclose it under Section 41 of the Freedom of Information Act 2015 as the report was held for future publication. | ||
| 2017-09-07 | TT/Festival of Motorcycling | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| A request was made for the costs of rescue helicopters, safety equipment, and road barriers for the 2017 TT and Festival of Motorcycling, but the Department for Enterprise withheld all information citing commercial interests. | ||
| 2017-09-06 | Tom Jones concert | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| A request was made for details on the profit or loss of the Tom Jones concert at Noble's Park and any taxpayer liability, but the Department for Enterprise refused to disclose the information citing commercial interests. | ||
| 2017-08-03 | Deloitte report on berth for cruise ships | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| A request was made for a Deloitte report assessing the potential for a deep water cruise ship berth in the Isle of Man, but the Department for Enterprise withheld the document entirely. | ||
| 2017-03-30 | Value of estates registered for probate in the Isle of Man in recent years. | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| The requester asked for statistical analysis of estate values registered for probate in the Isle of Man between 2013 and 2016. The Department for Enterprise refused to provide the data, citing that the information is publicly accessible via the Probate Registry indexes and is therefore exempt under Section 20 of the Freedom of Information Act 2014. | ||