Department for Enterprise
8 FOI requests | Full disclosure rate: 2025.0%
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-20 | Digital IOM CEO's salary | Not upheld |
| A requester sought the CEO's salary maxima, organizational structure, and staff details for Digital IOM, but the Department for Enterprise refused to disclose salary information citing commercial interests while providing an organizational chart. | ||
| 2025-07-31 | DfE Processing of KWC Related FOI Requests | Not upheld |
| The requester sought internal Department for Enterprise documents generated during the processing of two previous FOI requests regarding King William's College funding and due diligence. The Information Commissioner's Office review concluded the request was not upheld, citing that disclosure would harm commercial interests and business confidence. | ||
| 2025-04-14 | Grant/Loan of Public Money to King William's College | Not upheld |
| The requester sought details regarding a £2.2 million loan to King William's College, but the authority responded with an unrelated letter demanding unpaid ground rent arrears for a Freeport property. | ||
| 2025-02-11 | Staff bonuses | Not upheld |
| A request was made for details on staff bonuses, contracts, and authorization metrics at the Department for Enterprise, which was ultimately not upheld following an internal review regarding excessive redactions of non-personal data. | ||
| 2023-10-27 | Business Migrant endorsement - gender and representation | Not upheld |
| 2023-08-21 | work permits | Not upheld |
| 2019-05-17 | Enterprise Development Scheme | Not upheld |
| The request sought details on payments, fund manager fees, and job creation under the Isle of Man's Enterprise Development Scheme. The authority disclosed the total fees paid to the former fund manager and the number of jobs created, but withheld specific recipient names pending future publication under a qualified exemption. | ||
| 2018-10-01 | Enterprise Development Scheme 2015 and Spark Impact | Not upheld |
| The request sought the total payment to Spark Impact and the number of jobs created under the Enterprise Development Scheme 2015. The authority disclosed that 16 jobs were created as of June 2018 but stated it could not provide the final contract payment amount because negotiations were ongoing and fees depend on future application approvals. | ||