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Information on the currenttransport projects portfolio, which is the main area of civil engineeringrelated activity within the Scottish Executive, is published on the TransportScotland website at www.transportscotland.gov.uk.

A strategic projects reviewfor all transport modes is currently in progress and consideration will be givento how information on future infrastructure programmes can best be provided to thecivil engineering industry.

Major projects which wouldbe cancelled after May 3 would of course have a highly negative impact on theinternational construction industry’s confidence in the Scottish market.

Transport Scotland hasthe operational responsibility for this area and can be contacted for moreinformation if required.

While Historic Scotland has indicatedthat it is willing to consider grant-aid for consolidation and repair of the monument,and for improving visitor interpretation, there is presently no detailed and costedscheme of works, so to offer a figure would be premature and potentially misleading.Given the importance of the site Historic Scotland is confident that if a schemewere to be agreed, resources would be found for urgently necessary work. In recentyears projects of a similar general scale have been supported through its AncientMonuments Grant scheme at castles in different parts of Scotland: for example Gylen(Argyll and Bute) and Cessford (Scottish Borders). Currently funded projects includeMoy (Argyll and Bute) and Invergarry (Highland) Castles.

Historic Scotland is expected to useits powers under the Ancient Monuments legislation pro-actively. It is not uncommonfor Historic Scotland to make it known in the course of visits of monument wardensand inspectors that support might be found for the consolidation or care of an importantmonument, even when the owner has not made a direct request for help. The grant-aidedconservation work at Moy and Cessford Castles came about after initial meetingswith the area inspector to discuss the condition and future care of the monuments.Typically, at such discussions the inspector will explain the grant applicationprocess and indicate the likelihood of a project receiving grant, although prospectiveapplicants are then encouraged to write to Historic Scotland to begin the processof formal consideration for grant.

Routinely, Historic Scotland also works with a range of communitygroups, conservation trusts and other bodies who wish to pursue the management ofkey historic environment assets which they do not themselves own, although suchbodies are required to obtain agreement from owners of sites affected by their proposalsbefore they can receive grant aid.

I refer the member to the answerto question S2W-32425 on 23 March 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions areavailable on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can befound at  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

I refer the member to the answerto question S2W-29718 on 23 March 2007, which provides our current best estimates for eachproject contained in Scotland’s transport future. All answers to written parliamentaryare available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can befound at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Highland Council is currently taking forward the Inverness SouthConnectivity Study which is a Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidelines appraisalof the transport options for transport connectivity in the transport system aroundthe South of Inverness.

The study will be available tofeed into the Strategic Transport Projects Review that will determine the futureprogramme for transport investment.

There is £158,000 remaining fromthe £126 million surplus which arose from the Scottish Transport Group pension funds.This sum has been reserved for distribution to identified eligible former pensionscheme members and claims continue to be made. There are no other funds to distributeand no further payments will be made. Widows and widowers have received 100% oftheir entitlement under the pension scheme rules and therefore will not receiveany additional payments.

Highland Council is currently taking forward the Inverness SouthConnectivity Study which is a Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidelines appraisalof the transport options for transport connectivity in the transport system aroundthe south of Inverness. An official fromTransport Scotland is on the working group to represent trunk road interestsin relation to the connections between the Inverness Southern Distributor Road andthe existing trunk road network.

Once the work on the optionsis completed this will be available to feed into the Strategic Transport ProjectsReview which is on-going and is due for completion in the summer 2008.

The estimated costs of eachof the planned strategic transport projects are provided in the reply to the answer to question S2W-29718 on 23 March 2007, which is available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility forwhich can be found at:http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

These are our latest best estimates based on the variousrisks currently identified for each of these projects. The final costs will notbe known until tenders have been returned and contracts completed.

Planned expenditure on theA9, A96, A82, A95 and A96 in each of the next four years may be found on theTransport Scotland website at:http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/defaultpage1221cde0.aspx?pageID=20.

In addition to the schemeslisted in the website a new western bypass of Crianlarich on the A82 is beingplanned for a construction start in 2009-10 at an estimated cost of £5.3million and an improvement to remove a bottleneck at Pulpit Rock on the A82 atLoch Lomond is being planned for a construction start in 2010-11 at anestimated cost of £8.4 million.

Three major maintenanceschemes with road improvements are being planned on the A9 at Slochd, Moy andCarrbridge and will include additional overtaking lanes which will be 3.5km,1.3km, and 1.7km long respectively.

In addition to the schemeswhich are currently being taken forward to construction, we are currentlyundertaking two studies on the A9. The A9 Route Improvement Strategy isconsidering the need to upgrade the A9 north of Perth and at Berriedale Braes thereis an investigation into interim and long term options for improving poorgeometry at this location. Information about studies on the A96 can be found in my reply to question S2W-32421 which is available on the Parliament’s website, thesearch facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

All start and completion datesare subject to the satisfactory completion of statutory procedures.

In addition the StrategicTransport Projects Review will consider these routes as part of the on-goingwork towards the next phase of major transport infrastructure investment.

Planned expenditure on the A96during this period may be found on the Transport Scotland website at http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/defaultpage1221cde0.aspx?pageID=20.

In addition, we are currentlyundertaking a design study for a dual carriageway improvement of the A96 betweenInverness and Inverness Airport. We have also invested in a major multi-modal transportcorridor study between Aberdeen and Inverness to provide the evidence to guide future investment prioritiesfor this route.