Money spent on Scotland House Brussels: FOI release

Information requested

How much taxpayers money went to Scotland House Brussels last year? Include all money spent on Scotland House by the Scottish Government including via funds paid to Scotland Europa by the Scottish Government or public bodies funded or directly controlled by the Scottish Government.

Response

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 reasons why we don't have the information are explained below.

We have interpreted your request reference to the period ‘last year’ to mean the last financial year, being 1 April 2023 – 31 March 2024. Scotland House Brussels is a partnership between the Scottish Government and Scotland Europa Limited. The information provided relates to the data held by the Scottish Government. In 2023-24, a total £2,438,151 was spent by the Scottish Government on Scotland House Brussels.

Scottish Enterprise provided £889,372 of operational funding to Scotland Europa Limited in the 2023- 24 financial year. Further information regarding Scottish Enterprise’s funding of Scotland Europa is available here in the Scottish Enterprise Annual Report and Accounts (scottish-enterprise.com).

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. Other public bodies may have either contributed funding to Scotland Europa or paid Scotland Europa for services, but the Scottish Government does not hold that information. This may be because that information relates to a commercial relationship to which the Scottish Government is not a party.

Further information relating to funding provided to Scotland Europa Limited should be directed to Scottish Enterprise at FOI@scotent.co.uk

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.