For the vast majority of drug misusers who are prescribed appropriate dosages of methadone, the benefits to health of both short and long-term use far outweigh any side effects. As part of a package of care, methadone allows individuals to stabilise their lives to reduce their use of illegal drugs, reduce their levels of injecting, reduce their criminal activity, increase their contact with health services, all leading to significant health gains for these individuals.

National Planning Policy Guideline (NPPG) 14: Natural Heritage notes that planning authorities should seek to protect trees, groups of trees and areas of woodland where they have natural heritage value or contribute to the character or amenity of a particular locality. The policies contained in NPPGs are material considerations to be taken into account in development plan preparation and development control.

The protection, enhancement and expansion of ancient and native woodland are key priorities under the current Scottish Forestry Strategy. Feed-back from public consultation on the review of the strategy confirms there is strong support for these priorities, and we are now considering how to develop them in the draft revised strategy which will be issued for consultation in February. To help identify target areas, a Scottish Native Woodlands Survey project is currently being piloted by Forestry Commission Scotland which aims to create a comprehensive map and database on the extent, type and condition of native woodland, including ancient native woodland. Also, the commission leads the Native Woodland Partnership for Scotland, a body comprising representatives from government, owners’ associations, professional bodies and Non-Governmental Organisations. The partnership leads the implementation of native woodland habitat action plans, whilst advising on relevant policies, best practice and research. It is currently developing proposed habitat action plan targets which will be considered as part of the strategy review process.

I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-19671 on 7 November 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

The Executive does not have a policy of abolishing the right to buy. Recent pressured area designations have suspended the right to buy in the designated areas for tenancies with a modernised right to buy.

I also refer the member to the answer to question S2W-20857 on  1 December 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Local authorities set their own revenue and capital budgets for flood alleviation measures according to local needs and priorities. For revenue expenditure, local authorities Flood Defence and Land Drainage budget estimates for 2005-06 and their net outturn expenditure for the previous four years are as follows.

	2001-02 (000)	2002-03 (000)	2003-04 (000)	2004-05 (000)	2005-06 (000)
Scotland	2,720	4,424	4,233	4,974	4,359
Aberdeen City	35	40	93	136	90
Aberdeenshire	284	248	440	452	441
Angus	29	71	76	5	25
Argyll and Bute	84	133	142	89	145
Clackmannanshire	27	51	38	25	0
Dumfries and Galloway	122	330	147	213	158
Dundee City	17	17	14	13	30
East Ayrshire	75	21	2	30	124
East Dunbartonshire	130	233	233	233	239
East Lothian	0	43	0	0	0
East Renfrewshire	23	3	21	40	20
Edinburgh, City of	363	592	348	391	367
Eilean Siar	0	0	0	0	0
Falkirk	0	56	87	146	144
Fife	258	304	313	371	333
Glasgow City	0	0	128	113	140
Highland	70	123	160	232	707
Inverclyde	0	0	0	0	0
Midlothian	34	11	31	16	118
Moray	224	159	234	469	321
North Ayrshire	79	157	190	173	180
North Lanarkshire	53	61	37	0	37
Orkney Islands	30	30	30	30	30
Perth and Kinross	286	704	273	417	469
Renfrewshire	317	315	425	427	0
Scottish Borders	69	83	98	160	164
Shetland Islands	0	0	0	21	0
South Ayrshire	0	0	5	4	8
South Lanarkshire	111	240	383	373	0
Stirling	0	0	0	0	34
West Dunbartonshire	0	0	0	0	35
West Lothian	0	399	285	395	0

Source: LFR 6 return 2001-02 to 2004-05. POBE return 2005.

For capital expenditure, local authorities have been free to set their capital budgets for flood alleviation measures within the overall prudential regime since 1 April 2004. Before then, local authorities had considerable flexibility in setting their flood alleviation budget within their overall section 94 consent allocations. In addition, there were specific allocations made for major confirmed flood prevention schemes for the period up to 2003-04, the details of which were set out in the answer to question S2W-3642 on 20 November 2003.

All answers to written questions are available on the Parliaments website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:

The Executive has continued to increase the level of investment for new housing supply in Highland and Moray Council areas rising from £10.12 million in 1997-98 to £25.75 million last financial year and with an anticipated outturn level of investment for this financial year of £33.315 million.

Workers migrating to here from other European Union countries have the same rights of access to housing as UK citizens.

Information for 2005 on schoolleavers with no full course awards at Standard Grade or equivalent is currentlybeing analysed and is due to be published in February 2006.

Parliamentary constituency andlocal authority area data for the years 2000-04 have been placed in Scottish ParliamentInformation Centre (Bib. number 38277). These tables will be updated when new informationis available.

The A96 Fochabers and Mosstodloch bypass scheme is currently subject to two appeals in the Court of Session and it is therefore not possible to say when construction might commence.

However, should the court rule in the Executive’s favour, construction could start after about 12 months and would take in the region of 18 months to complete.

We have no current plans to construct an Elgin Bypass. However, we are working closely with the Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership (HITRANS) and the North East Scotland Transport Partnership (NESTRANS) in a multi-modal corridor study to identify the future transport needs of the A96 corridor. The Executive is committed to commencing a Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR) during 2006. This will provide an opportunity for the whole transport network in Scotland, including the A96.

The designation of a pressured area does not, in itself, immediately free up affordable homes for rent to new tenants. Rather, it aims to protect the existing social rented stock for future tenancies in pressured areas. The recent designation in the Highland Council area suspends the potential sale of 2,039 properties in response to pressures identified in particular localities by the council.