Chamber and committees

The Scottish Executive believes that the case submitted to the UK Government to secure Inverness' access to Gatwick Airport meets the required criteria set out in European Regulations.

Requests for meetings should be submitted directly for consideration by Ministers. The Executive will review the 1995 Route Accident Reduction Plan (RARP) for the A82 between Tyndrum and Inverness next year to identify priority schemes for inclusion in future motorway and trunk road programmes. Identified schemes will be considered against competing priorities across the Scottish trunk road network.

The Scottish Executive has no plans to meet with other interested parties at this time but will continue to liaise with local stakeholders on the securing of Inverness access to Gatwick Airport.

The Scottish Executive is bound, by Article 6.1 and 6.2 of Directive 90/220/EEC, to consider whether an application to release a genetically modified organism into the environment does, or does not, comply with the terms set out elsewhere in the directive. Ministers are required to grant consent for a release, where they are satisfied that the application is in compliance with the directive and will not pose a threat to human health or environmental safety. A moratorium or refusal to grant approval would be illegal unless based on sound scientific evidence of potential harm. Scottish ministers discharge their responsibility to base their decisions on sound scientific evidence by referring applications to expert advisory bodies; principally the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment (ACRE). ACRE examines all relevant material in relation to a proposed release and advises ministers as to whether, in its opinion, the release will pose a threat to the environment. Scottish ministers have powers under Article 6.6 of Directive 90/220/EEC to modify the conditions of, suspend or terminate GM crop trials where, at any time, information becomes available which could have significant consequences for the risks posed by the release. No such sound scientific evidence has emerged which might call into question the safety of any of the Scottish trials.

The audited report and accounts for the Scottish Transport Group pension schemes in respect of the final accounting period are due to be received by the Executive shortly. The position as regards distribution of the surplus remains as I announced to Parliament on 29 November 2001 (motion S1M-2486).

The Independent Advisory Panel which will consider the UK's nomination for the European Capital of Culture 2008 competition is to be appointed by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. At least one person from each of the four countries of the UK will be included on the panel. The Executive, like all of the devolved administrations, has been invited to make suggestions of possible panel members to the Secretary of State, and we have done so.

The Scottish Executive has had no contacts with Scottish Water or North of Scotland Water Authority on the specific issue of a public water supply for Glenborrodale.

We have no plans to implement a road equivalent tariff (RET) approach to setting fares for ferry services which the Executive subsidises, nor do we intend to conduct research into the cost of implementing such a policy. As I have indicated in previous answers, it is clear that RET would require substantial alteration in the fares structure of Caledonian MacBrayne at a time when it and the people whom it serves most require stability and security of service. Our efforts must be focused on securing continuity of services and protection of fares through the future tendering exercise relating to the company's services.

The Executive is committed to the promotion of good architecture by means of the objectives and commitments set out in A Policy on Architecture for Scotland. The Executive believes that good architecture is the product of the creative collaboration of many disciplines and that architects have a key role to play in this process. Communities Scotland meets quarterly with the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland to facilitate joint working.

I have asked Caledonian MacBrayne Ltd to place a copy of the report in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 20611).