Seòmar agus comataidhean

The report entitled Report on the First Year of the New Trunk Road Operating Companies, 2001-02 will be published on Wednesday 4 September 2002. The report, which has been prepared by the Performance Audit Group, will be available on the Scottish Executive's web page and copies will be placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre. Further copies can be obtained directly from the Performance Audit Group by writing to them at 16 Abercromby Place, Edinburgh, EH3 6LB.

No such reports have been received.

This report has been published today and copies have been made available to the convener and members of the Rural Development Committee. A copy has been placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. Number 22294) and the report can be viewed on the website of the Royal Society.

Amendments have been tabled to the Police Reform Bill, currently before the UK Parliament, to fulfil this commitment by amending the Employment Rights Act 1996 so that police officers in England, Wales and Scotland are covered by the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998. These are due to be considered by the Standing Committee on the Bill on 27 June 2002.

Significant progress is being made. On 25 June, Cathy Jamieson and I announced support for capital investment of £1.15 billion in Scotland's schools - across all 15 local authorities which submitted bids. This emphasises the strong commitment of Scottish ministers to the modernisation of our schools estate.

In December 1999 the UK Government announced its four-point plan on organophosphates (OPs). This included funding a comprehensive series of research studies into areas of uncertainty that had been identified in the 1999 report from the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment. The first of these studies - commissioned by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate of the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs - is due to report its findings later this year.

The Scottish Poisons Information Bureau is the main source of advice to the NHS on treatment of poisoning for a wide variety of toxic substances including organophosphates. Their TOXBASE database gives details of treatment options for organophosphate poisoning that include decontamination of exposed skin, gastric lavage, protection of the airway and administration of oxygen, atropine, pralidoxime mesylate and diazepam. Selection of the appropriate combination of these treatments depends on the nature and severity of exposure.

The report by SNH, as the reporting body under section 3 of the National Parks (Scotland) Act 2000, was submitted to Scottish ministers on 21 August, 2001. We have considered this report very carefully. We are satisfied that the Cairngorms area meets the criteria for designation as a National Park. We are, therefore, publishing today a draft Designation Order for consultation, as required under section 6 of the National Parks (Scotland) Act. This consultation document will be widely distributed and copies have been made available to the Parliament's Reference Centre. The Executive's consultation closes on 22 August 2002, after which the draft Order will be amended as required in light of comments received, before being submitted to the Scottish Parliament for approval in the autumn.

Thirty-three awards made under the Rural Stewardship Scheme were to farmers and crofters with an IACS holding, not including common grazings, of 10 hectares or below in area.

Farmers and crofters in the Highlands and Islands benefit from the same support arrangements as farmers in all other parts of the country. This includes advice and information from SEERAD and its agencies as well as the main Common Agricultural Policy subsidies which pay some £100 million per annum to farmers and crofters in the Highlands and Islands.Highlands and Islands also benefits from measures which are unique to that area including:the Agricultural Business Development Scheme which will provide £17 million between 2001 and 2006;the Crofting Community Development Scheme worth around £1 million between 2001 and 2006;the Crofting Counties Agricultural Grants Scheme which has a budget of £2.7 million for 2001-02; andthe Crofters' Building Grants and Loan Scheme with a budget of £2.9 million for 2001-02.Farmers and crofters in the area also benefit from the Livestock Improvement Scheme and the Highlands and Islands Veterinary Services Scheme.