Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much the British Business Bank has spent on legal fees to challenge freedom of information requests made by the Times newspaper and Spotlight on Corruption on the Bounce Back Loan Scheme.

To date, the British Business Bank has incurred a legal spend of £28,137.88 plus VAT challenging the Freedom of Information request made by Spotlight on Corruption on the Bounce Back Loan Scheme, following a complaint by Spotlight on Corruption to the Information Commissioner’s Office, and subsequently an appeal to the First Tier Tribunal (after the ICO supported the Bank’s original position).

The Bank has not incurred any legal spend in relation to any Freedom of Information request made by the Times in relation to the Bounce Back Loan Scheme.