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Historic Scotland is an Executive Agency within the Scottish Executive's Education Department and is directly accountable to Scottish ministers and, through them, to the Scottish Parliament. The agency's Framework Document, which is agreed by Scottish ministers, sets out its role and responsibilities. All functions performed by the agency are carried out on behalf of Scottish ministers. Legislation governing Scotland's built heritage either empowers or places a duty on Scottish ministers, who then direct Historic Scotland to meet all aspects of their built heritage functions.The main legislation under which Historic Scotland acts, on behalf of Scottish ministers, is as follows:Historic Buildings and Ancient Monuments Act 1953;Protection of Wrecks Act 1973;Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979, andPlanning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997The agency's work will also be guided by the Valetta Convention to which the UK Government has subscribed.

There is no fundamental incompatibility. However, a basic distinction may be drawn between the adaptation for contemporary use of an occupied historic building and the restoration of a ruinous ancient monument. In the former case, where the historic interest may lie primarily in its architectural design, there generally need be no fundamental incompatibility between the adaptation of the building and our ability to interpret its historic interest. However, in the case of a ruinous structure, where the interest may be more likely to lie in our ability to document its historic importance and use, the very act of restoration may hide the evidence that allows the building's structural history to be interpreted by visitors. By way of example, people living in a restored medieval castle do not normally wish to live within bare walls, but to cover these with plaster: this hides important evidence for the structural history of the building.

The information requested is contained in Historic Scotland's Framework Document 2001, a copy of which is available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 12376).

The Scottish Executive provides funding to the Scottish Road Safety Campaign to enable it to produce road safety education resources aimed at children of all ages. The campaign is developing and implementing a strategy for road safety education in Scottish schools at all stages of education, from pre-school to upper secondary school, including special educational needs. The main aim is to ensure that there is a core curriculum of road safety taught to all children in Scotland.As part of the Campaign's Theatre in Education programme, a number of plays aimed at different age groups tour schools throughout Scotland each year. The Campaign's website includes an area specifically for 8 to 13 year old children, which is designed to convey road safety messages in a fun way.On 10 September the campaign launched a national Junior Road Safety Officer scheme, in which senior primary school pupils, supported by local authority or police Road Safety Officers, are appointed to raise awareness of road safety issues among other pupils, teachers, parents and the wider community. The Scottish Executive is providing funding, totalling £810,000 over six years, for selected schemes, implemented by local authorities, to train five- and six-year-olds in practical road safety skills. Priority is being given to schemes in disadvantaged areas. The first three successful authorities were announced in January. The second bidding round was launched in June.The Scottish Executive also funds the Children's Traffic Club in Scotland, which offers free road safety education to all three and four year old children in Scotland.

The Executive has been supporting developing work by Partnerships UK for some time with Argyll and Bute Council. Good progress has been made with the council in developing a variant model, founded on the standard public private partnership model, but dealing with the issues of internal distribution of surpluses (ie non-profit distributing) and stakeholder involvement. The 25 June announcement of over £1 billion in schools infrastructure by Cathy Jamieson supported this project with revenue support for an investment value of £80 million. However, the test of whether this model will work lies in a live procurement situation, and the funding announcement now allows Argyll and Bute, supported financially by the Executive and with the continued expertise of Partnerships UK, to enter the procurement stages. It will take about a year for that process to reach the stage where we can properly assess whether this variant model has been successful as a new delivery vehicle.The Executive evaluated the SNP's Scottish Investment Trust proposal last year. Whilst it had in principle the advantage of aggregating borrowing to lever in more competitive lending rates, the proposal was flawed in claiming that a private sector trust would be able to access borrowing rates at the same low rates as Government itself. If to achieve this the Government had to act as guarantor to the trust, then loans to the trust would count as public expenditure and assets created would score as on the public sector balance sheet. If that were the result, then some key advantages of PPP would be negated. Also, there were unanswered questions about issues such as control over appointments as trustees, and accountability over such a powerful funding body influencing public infrastructure investment.Other trust models claiming to be based on not-for-profit objectives have been publicised. However, to date none has been submitted for consideration of revenue support from the Executive. Unless new issues emerge, and until it is ready for wider application in due course, the Executive will continue to focus its interest in new developments efficiently and with strong technical support in the Argyll and Bute model.

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.