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EFSA concessionary loaning

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Dear Department for Education,

I believe a number of organisations have been in receipt of “concessionary loans” from the ESFA with terms along the lines of “interest free” and with long repayment terms.

I would like a list of Collages, MATs. UTCs and Academies who were in receipt a concessionary loan

If possible I would like the amount loaned, if it’s interest free. The annual repayment and the loan term.

Yours faithfully,

A Jolley

ACCOUNT, Unmonitored, Department for Education

Thank you for contacting the Department for Education. We can confirm that
we have received the Freedom of Information request you submitted.

We will respond to you within 20 working days.

 

ACCOUNT, Unmonitored, Department for Education

Dear Mr Jolley,

 

Thank you for your email which was received on 16 February.

 

Your request

 

Dear Department for Education,

 

I believe a number of organisations have been in receipt of “concessionary
loans” from the ESFA with terms along the lines of “interest free” and
with long repayment terms.

 

I would like a list of Collages, MATs. UTCs and Academies who were in
receipt a concessionary loan

 

If possible I would like the amount loaned, if it’s interest free. The
annual repayment and the loan term.

 

In order for us to fully response to your Freedom of Information further,
clarification is sought. can you,

 

·        define the what you mean by concessionary interest rates?

·        define what you consider long term loans – for example in the FE
sector it is common for a long term loan with a commercial lender to be 25
years;

·        define the period you are interested in.

·        can you confirm that you are asking about colleges.

 

 

Yours Sincerely

 

Lateef Agboola

Education and Skills Funding Agency

 Web: [1]https://www.education.gov.uk
Twitter: [2]https://www.twitter.com/educationgovuk
Facebook: [3]https://www.facebook.com/educationgovuk 

 
 

 

References

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1. https://www.education.gov.uk/
2. https://www.twitter.com/educationgovuk
3. https://www.facebook.com/educationgovuk

Dear Lateef

Thanks for seeking clarification

I used the term “concessionary interest rates” as I had seen it used in MAT accounts in relation to the loans they received from the ESFA. I suppose my interpretation would be any loans given out by the ESFA at below market rates or with special provisions relating to repayments.

As for the term, I am unsure where to set the limit for ESFA loans without knowing the numbers involved. I am obviously not interested in external commercial loans and am keen to keep your workload to a minimum. Perhaps you could give me a rough idea of the number of loans the ESFA has issued and how many are still in place? From there we can reach a consensus at what would be a reasonable to request. If there are only 100 loans running, then I would hope for details of them all, if 1000, clearly I would be happy to set some limits around dates terms and amounts involved.

Whilst I am interested in FE collages, my primary interest is in MATs, Academies, free schools and UTCs.

I am keen to help and would be happy for you to give me a call if you think that would be of benefit.

Regards

Andrew Jolley

ACCOUNT, Unmonitored, Department for Education

Thank you for contacting the Department for Education. We can confirm that
we have received the Freedom of Information request you submitted.

We will respond to you within 20 working days.

 

EFACAPITAL, Correspondence, Department for Education

 

Dear Mr Jolley,

 

I would be grateful if you will let me have your contact number to pass on
to my colleagues who would like to discuss your most recent Freedom of
Information request to ensure we respond fully.

 

Many thanks

 

 

Lateef Agboola

Education and Skills

Funding Agency

Sanctuary Buildings, Level 5

Great Smith Street

Westminster

London

SW1P 3BT

Dear EFACAPITAL, Correspondence,

Just a reminder that this is well overdue now.

I would be grateful for a response ASAP

Yours sincerely,

Andrew Jolley

ACCOUNT, Unmonitored, Department for Education

1 Attachment

Thank you for your recent Freedom of Information request, please find
attached our reply for your attention.

 

Your correspondence has been allocated reference number 2018-0011687. If
you need to respond to us, please visit:
[1]https://www.education.gov.uk/contactus and quote your reference number.

References

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1. https://www.education.gov.uk/contactus

Dear ACCOUNT, Unmonitored,
Thank you for your response.

Can I just clarify that I asked in writing, specifically "for a list" of those organisations in receipt of a concessionary loan

I also discussed providing the details e.g. the amount loaned, if it’s interest free. The annual repayment and the loan term.

Given you have established the number with live loans, I assume drawing up the required list shouldn't take very much time at all?

I shouldn't have to remind you that this FOI is already well overdue and I would hope for a speedy response to my request.

Yours sincerely,

Andrew Jolley

ACCOUNT, Unmonitored, Department for Education

Thank you for contacting the Department for Education. We can confirm that
we have received the Freedom of Information request you submitted.

We will respond to you within 20 working days.

 

Dear Department for Education,

Hi

Can you confirm if you are planning to provide the requested list, or will I have to start the appeals process?

This is well overdue now.

Yours faithfully,

Andrew Jolley

ACCOUNT, Unmonitored, Department for Education

Thank you for contacting the Department for Education. We can confirm that
we have received the Freedom of Information request you submitted.

We will respond to you within 20 working days.

 

ACCOUNT, Unmonitored, Department for Education

1 Attachment

Dear Mr Jolley,
 
Thank you for your request for information. Please see the attached
response.
 
Kind regards,
 
Education and Skills Funding Agency

Dear Department for Education,

Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.

I am writing to request an internal review of Department for Education's handling of my FOI request 'EFSA concessionary loaning'.

I would like to request an internal review on two counts; first, the unacceptable delays culminating in excuse that you considered I was actually making a second request. This is clearly not the case as evidenced by the correspondence.

Secondly, in making the case that disclosing the names of trusts receiving a loan has the potential to cause damage, the ESFA offered no evidence or examples of where a trust had been damaged, this is nothing but unsubstantiated speculation. Simply being in receipt of a loan is not in itself any indicator that the trust is in jeopardy, as indicated by the ESFA request that I exclude many types of the loans they offer to trusts.

The receipt of a loan must be disclosed within the trust accounts, which Dfe require to be published as part of the trusts funding agreements and articles of association. The information is already in the public realm and it is only the fact there are thousands of individual trusts that make the request for a list necessary.

It is stretching credulity to argue that a contractor finding out a trust has a loan (which is already public information) would have a detrimental effect on bargaining power, moreover to argue this occurs to the point it overrides the public interest in accountability for the way public money is being spent on these interest free loans cannot be in any way justifiable.

Finally, the argument naming a trust “could harm the trust’s recovery and compromise the education of their children” seems at complete odds with the departments own policy of issuing and publishing the list of trusts in receipt of a Financial Notice to improve.

It is well worth noting that despite being listed publically many of the trust have subsequently had the notice lifted and secured their financial positions, which would seem to amply demonstrate that the publicity isn’t having the compromising effect suggested.

There is no evidence listing the recipients will do any damage to the Individual Trusts and I would like you to provide the full list as requested at the earliest opportunity.

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/e...

Yours faithfully,

Andrew Jolley

ACCOUNT, Unmonitored, Department for Education

Thank you for contacting the Department for Education. We can confirm that
we have received the Freedom of Information request you submitted.

We will respond to you within 20 working days.

 

Dear Department for Education,

Please note. This wasn’t an additional Foi, but a request for an internal review.

Yours faithfully,

Andrew Jolley

ACCOUNT, Unmonitored, Department for Education

1 Attachment

Thank you for your recent Request for an Internal Review, please find
attached our responde for your attention.

 

Your correspondence has been allocated reference number 2018-0024975. If
you need to respond to us, please visit:
[1]https://www.education.gov.uk/contactus and quote your reference number.

References

Visible links
1. https://www.education.gov.uk/contactus

We don't know whether the most recent response to this request contains information or not – if you are Andrew Jolley please sign in and let everyone know.