Seòmar agus comataidhean

No decision has yet been made on whether to take legal action against Flour City International. The costs to the project arising from the insolvency of Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd are currently estimated as £3.85 million.

I understand that the Deputy Minister for Environment and Rural Development has written to COSLA regarding a meeting, but no date has been arranged as yet.On investment, the Executive's Scottish Forestry Strategy identifies the development of timber transport infrastructure as a priority for action. However, it remains a matter for councils to determine their priorities on the maintenance of local roads used by timber transport, in terms of all the resources for which they are responsible, and to allocate resources to individual projects accordingly.

No.

Decisions on the management of local roads, including the imposition of weight restrictions, are a matter for local authorities. Consultation with the Executive on individual cases would not be appropriate. Wider issues concerning transport infrastructure and access to forest areas are being taken forward by the Timber Transport Forum.The Executive is aware of difficulties which can arise where areas of forest can become isolated or landlocked. In such circumstances, local authorities work closely with the forestry industry to identify alternative haulage routes, wherever possible.

The Cabinet Sub-Committee on Rural Development, which I Chair, (formerly the Ministerial Committee on Rural Development), was established in 1999, when it met three times. Since then, it has met five times in 2000 and five times in 2001 and has so far met twice this year, on 5 February and 15 May. The membership has changed once, following a review of ministerial committees and working groups in January this year, when some rationalisation was agreed. The sub-committee currently has the following members: the Minister for Social Justice, the Minister for Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning, the Minister for Finance and Public Services, the Deputy Minister for Environment and Rural Development and the Deputy Minister for Tourism Culture and Sport. Details of the remit and membership of all Cabinet sub-committees are available on the Scottish Executive website. As indicated in the Guide to Collective Decision Making, a copy of which is available on the Scottish Executive website, the Executive operates on the basis of collective responsibility and does not disclose details of the internal processes through which decisions have been made. For that reason, the Executive does not normally publish minutes of Cabinet sub-committee meetings.

I have asked Mr Bob Millar, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. His response is as follows:Communities Scotland's programme allocations reflect ministerial priorities and link the national distribution of resources to Area Teams, based upon the measurement of social exclusion. The area programme allocation is then developed in close consultation with partners, reflecting a broad range of existing partnership arrangements and leading to locally devised programmes and decision-making. Programmes are based upon local housing market and needs analysis to identify, consistent with our strategy, the demands, needs and opportunities for housing investment. Communities Scotland's allocation to North and North East Scotland on Housing Accommodation for Particular Needs is as follows:Communities Scotland - Expenditure in North and North East Scotland on Housing Accommodation for Particular Needs (2001-02 to 2002-03)

	2001-02 Approved Programme1(£ million)	2002-03 Approved Programme2(£ million)
Grampian, Tayside and Fife	13.038	12.731
Highlands and Islands	2.838	2.358
Communities Scotland - Total	47.456	42.630

Notes:1. Approved Programme figure is used as 2001-02 accounts yet to be finalised - therefore these figures are subject to change.2. Estimates.

All of the £854,067 was paid directly to Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Limited.

The Scottish National Rural Partnership is an advisory body to ministers on rural policy, and exists to promote effective liaison between public, private and voluntary sector interests on rural matters.The partnership, which currently has 17 members, is chaired by a Scottish Executive official. Members, appointed for their own expertise and knowledge of rural issues, are nominated by the following organisations:Confederation of British Industry ScotlandCommunities ScotlandConvention of Scottish Local AuthoritiesFederation of Small BusinessesForestry CommissionHighlands & Islands EnterpriseNational Farmers Union ScotlandScottish Council of Voluntary OrganisationsScottish Crofting FoundationScottish EnterpriseScottish Environment LINKScottish Landowners FederationScottish Natural HeritageScottish Trades Union CongressThe Scottish Agricultural CollegeVisitScotlandThe partnership has met a total of 29 times since 1996. In 2002, it has met twice, on 29 January and 3 May, and a third meeting will take place in early September.

As is its standard practice, Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) provided consultees, including community representatives, with all the scientific evidence relevant to the selection of the Sound of Barra as a possible Special Area of Conservation during it's consultation between September and December 2000.I have no evidence that SNH has withheld any of the relevant information. SNH has also firmly refuted the allegation in its submission to the Petitions Committee.Information in support of site designation was provided on request by the Sea Mammal Research Unit. Additional information on SMRU's 2000 seal count was made freely accessible by SNH to interested parties on request as it became available. I understand that there was one such request and that the information was provided by SNH in response to this request.The Scottish Executive has responded to the Public Petitions Committee's request for information, and has no plans to instigate an inquiry into this matter.

Ministers make every effort to participate in Members' Business debates on subjects for which the Executive is responsible. The Executive may exceptionally conclude that it would not be appropriate in the particular circumstances for a minister to participate. In those cases, ministers would explain clearly why such a decision had been taken.