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BEAR Scotland Ltd has quality systems and operational procedures in place which require safety issues to be addressed, relating both to the public and its employees, whilst ensuring that its other obligations under the terms of the trunk road contract are met. These systems and procedures have been scrutinised by Performance Audit Group and consented to by the Scottish Executive.

Annual estimated deer population figures are not held by the Scottish Executive.The Deer Commission for Scotland (DCS) is the statutory body charged with furthering the conservation, control and sustainable management of wild deer in Scotland and detailed deer data is published in their Annual Report, which is laid before Parliament (Bib. number 17932).Estimates of red deer numbers and densities over previous years are also available from the DCS. General indications are that over the last 40 years, in many areas, red deer numbers and densities have been increasing. Similar information on other species is not collated.Red deer estimates are based on a rolling programme of deer counts by DCS itself as well as counts carried out by estates which they are encouraged to undertake as part of an integral approach to good land management. There are currently no generally accepted methods of estimating numbers of other species over a large area.In recent years, DCS has moved away from national statistics to describe deer populations in Scotland due to the temporal inaccuracy of the data. DCS considers that the best method of deer control is a co-ordinated management approach at local level, where numbers and densities make more sense, through a system of Deer Management Groups. This approach is endorsed by the Scottish Executive.

The information requested can be found in the Winter Maintenance Plans published by BEAR Scotland Ltd for the North East and North West Units, copies of which are available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. No's 18110 and 18114).

Information on the number of road gritters operated by BEAR Scotland Ltd can be found in the Winter Maintenance Plans published by BEAR for the North East and North West Units, copies of which are available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. No's 18110 and 18114). It is not possible to make direct comparisons between BEAR and the previous operator as Highland Council had resources to fulfil its responsibilities on both trunk and local roads. Other factors that influence direct comparisons are the size and the types of vehicles used, age and reliability of vehicles and modern technology.

The Trunk Road Maintenance Contracts require all gritters to be calibrated to ensure that they disperse the necessary quantities of salt. The Performance Audit Group has carried out audits on BEAR's winter operations, including winter maintenance vehicles, and these audits have confirmed that their vehicles have been calibrated to disperse the required quantities of salt.

The number of personnel currently employed directly by BEAR Scotland Ltd, in relation to the operation of the trunk road maintenance contracts in the North East and North West Units, is 231.

There was no available published credit reference available for Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd, as the company had been operating in the UK for a relatively short period of time. Bovis Lend Lease who have responsibility for credit checks, therefore obtained Flour City International's published accounts, which included the following:Highlights of Financial Summary 1994-98Condensed Balance Sheet 1997-98Condensed Statement of Income 1997-98Condensed Statement of Cashflow 1996-98 The Convener of the Holyrood Progress Group has confirmed that relevant papers will be obtained from Bovis Lend Lease in order to enable advice to be taken from the Parliament's legal office as to whether or not these can properly be put into the public domain. If there is no impediment to doing so, they will be will be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre in due course.

Payments were made to Flour City under the terms of a Letter of Intent, issued to Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd on 26 January 2001, which forms a legally binding agreement. The formal contract, concluded on 1 August 2001 superseded the letter of intent and finalised the full terms and conditions.

The Executive expects to receive the Scottish Law Commission's report by the end of March. We will then consider whether any legislation is necessary in the light of the commission's recommendations.

The Standing Orders stipulate that an Official Report shall be provided for all meetings of the Parliament. The question and answer sessions held by the Holyrood Progress Group are not formal meetings of the Parliament and it would not be appropriate, therefore, for an Official Report to be published.A summary of these sessions is provided in the Progress Group's Newsletters, which are issued to all Members and are available on the web. The next Newsletter is due to be published in February. I am also advised by the Convener of the Holyrood Progress Group that it is the Group's intention to provide a live webcast of future events.