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The Scottish Executive believe the proposals have the potential to benefit not only Fort William but also communities throughout Lochaber, both in terms of job creation and the local economy.

The Scottish Executive's response to the committee's report was sent to its Convener on 27 August, after lengthy consideration.

The report recognised that the tax-varying proposals being put forward to address the higher cost of fuel in rural areas are reserved to the UK Government. It also acknowledged that the Executive has already put into place many measures which will help to mitigate the effects of higher rural fuel prices. We have:

• increased the Rural Transport Fund to £18 million over three years, funding some 380 new and improved public transport services;
• used the Rural Petrol Station Grant scheme to fund structural improvements at 24 vital rural petrol stations;
• increased funding in Scotland for the Powershift Liquefied Petroleum Gas vehicle conversion scheme by £900,000 over the next three years, and
• introduced, with the UK Government and Shell UK, an initiative to deliver 23 new LPG outlets in rural areas.

We will continue to press Scotland's interests on taxation, as on other reserved matters, through the Scotland Office and through direct contacts with UK ministers. We will also continue to develop effective measures of direct benefit to rural communities, and remain open to imaginative and innovative proposals.

Lochaber Enterprise has previously supported, and is willing to consider further, any request for financial assistance towards proposals for the development of Fort William Waterfront. The nature of financial commitments by any of the partners has yet to be agreed.

The programme did begin as planned and we are paying grant for all heating systems installed in local authority dwellings since 1 April 2001. We will ensure that our commitment to provide every council and housing association tenant and everyone aged 60 or over in the private sector with a central heating system is met. We are also considering how the programme might be extended.

Eaga Partnership Ltd were appointed to administer the Central Heating Programme on 29 August 2001. The appointment was made as soon as possible following a careful and thorough evaluation of the tenders received.

Following consideration of the appropriate operational locations for the Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care, and in the context of the Executive's relocation policy, it is planned to locate a regional office of the new body in the Inverness area.

In line with the relocation policy, ministers consider a range of suitable locations when relocation opportunities arise. No particular areas of the country are targeted, nor are any ruled out. Inverness will be considered along with other locations.

Statistics of this kind covering enquiries, requests for advice and unsuccessful applications are not collated. Whilst some information may be retrievable from the relevant files, this would provide only an incomplete picture and would be likely to incur disproportionate costs.As indicated in previous answers, detailed records are held in relation to all licences which are issued under section 16 of the Act.

Predators of red squirrels include domestic dogs and cats, some members of the weasel and stoat family and some birds of prey. The main threats to red squirrels come from competition from grey squirrels and from habitat loss and fragmentation. Predation is not significant in the context of efforts to conserve the red squirrel. No action is therefore planned against red squirrel predators. Licences to kill or take red squirrels can be issued in terms of section 16(3) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended). In each of the last 10 years the following licences have been issued:

	Licences Issued	Animals Killed/Taken
1990-93	nil	0
1994	1	21
1995	1	23
1996	1	0
1997	1	0
1998-present	nil	0

My officials have met with industry representatives and the department is looking at detailed options along with the Deer Commission for Scotland to support carcass disposal should that prove necessary. The Executive has already approved funding for a wild venison marketing initiative within the UK through the Marketing Development Scheme and will consider further applications should the industry wish to do so.