Chamber and committees

Consignia, post offices and postal services are reserved to the UK Government. The Performance and Innovation Unit's report Counter Revolution: Modernising the Post Office Network (June 2000) showed that the future viability of the network was challenged by the introduction of automated credit transfer. The Department of Trade and Industry are concentrating on supporting the Post Office's efforts to build up new business opportunities, including universal banking services, in order to mitigate the effects of the move to automated credit transfer.

Post offices and postal services are reserved to the UK Government. I understand that details of financial support for rural post offices will be announced shortly by the Department of Trade and Industry.

All funding consequentials contribute to a block allocation to the Scottish Executive. The flexibility this gives ministers is considered a key element of the devolution arrangements. There was not a sufficient case for running a separate Scottish pilot on the project now known as Your Guide. DTI recently announced that the project would not receive further funding. The Scottish Executive remains in close contact with both DTI and Consignia regarding possible alternative projects.

The case for a bypass for Nairn has not been identified as a priority when considering potential projects for the motorway and trunk roads programme and there are no plans at present to take forward such a scheme. I have not received representations on this matter from either Highland or the Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership (HITRANS).

Responsibility for the Post Office and Post Office services is a reserved matter.A decision not to roll out Your Guide nationally was announced by DTI Ministers on 15 October. The decision was taken largely on value for money grounds, following the evaluation of a major pilot.Officials will continue to stay in close contact with DTI and Post Office efforts to identify the potential for government departments to deliver services through post offices in future.The Executive's public internet access point initiative is creating over 1,000 new venues across Scotland where people can have cheap, easy access to the web and all its services - public, commercial and voluntary sector. We are actively encouraging rural post offices to participate in the scheme - which provides eligible venues with computer hardware, software, and internet connectivity - all free of charge. The scheme therefore allows rural post offices to provide another valuable service to their customers and potentially another source of income for small post offices.

The total number of seats is not below 250. Seating provision for the press and public in the Holyrood Chamber, including that for disabled visitors, will total 277.

The estimated costs of current legal services being provided by Shepherd and Wedderburn in connection with Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd and Flour City International Inc. is £10,000 plus outlays.

The design work supplied by Flour City has required to be adapted since the original package has now been split into six separate trade packages. It has been estimated by the Design Team that around 95% of the drawings produced by Flour City were satisfactory or better and form the basis on which the additional design requirements are being built. Interface details generic to Flour City have been developed further, since they utilised many of their own standard details, and the additional cost for this is estimated at £117,500.

A tendering exercise was carried to procure outsourced legal services and contracts were agreed with three firms. The services provided by Shepherd and Wedderburn in connection with Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd and Flour City International Inc. have been at the rates quoted in the contract. It would not be appropriate to divulge the competitive rates which prevail as a further tender round is likely when the current contracts expire.

Information has been received on Flour City International Inc. as a result of the work of the SPCB's agents. Further updated information is expected soon together with an opinion on the prospects of recovery of the additional costs being incurred by the SPCB due to the failure of Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd. The SPCB will then consider the opinion and what action might be appropriate. As I stated in my letter to the member of 3 October, I will write further once reports from our agents are received. As the SPCB will be considering its legal position it is not appropriate that information forming part of that consideration be placed in the Parliament's Information Centre