Chamber and committees

P&O Scottish Ferries have stated publicly their willingness to continue operating the existing service for the extension period from 1 April to 30 September 2002 and I welcome that commitment.We have had extensive discussions with P&O Scottish Ferries on the full range of issues relating to the proposed contract extension. These talks are continuing and both parties recognise the need to clarify the remaining outstanding points as soon as possible.

We share the livestock industry's interest in contingency plans. We plan to work with NorthLink Orkney and Shetland Ferries Limited, the local authorities and farming interests to ensure that adequate fallback arrangements are in place.

The grant that has been provided will enable NorthLink to finalise the design of the cassette system. NorthLink is currently developing proposals for the purchase and operation of cassettes involving a third party, including arrangements for the lease of cassettes to other operators wishing to use them to carry livestock. Subject to the completion of all relevant preparations, I understand that NorthLink expects to have the cassettes operational from September 2002.

All the receipts raised in Scotland will be used in Scotland in ways which are of benefit to the Scottish farming industry. We forecast that around £3.97 million of the receipts raised through modulation will be used to fund agri-environment schemes (the Rural Stewardship Scheme, the Organic Aid Scheme, the Countryside Premium Scheme and Environmentally Sensitive Areas) and £1.61 million will be used to fund afforestation schemes (the Woodland Grant Scheme and the Farm Premium Woodland Scheme).

Public funding awarded to community buy-outs is available from various sources, details of overall funding are not held centrally. The capital cost of community buy-outs administered through Highlands and Islands Enterprise Community Land Unit which was established in July 1997 amounts to £7.3 million. The unit holds limited information on community buy-outs prior to 1997 but are able to advise that the capital cost awarded to Assynt Crofters Trust amounted to £300,000.Details of awards to assist in community buy-outs from the New Opportunities Fund's Scottish Land Fund, established in February 2001, are a reserved matter for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. Can I invite the member to write to Stephen Dunmore, Chief Executive of the New Opportunities Fund in this regard.

The annual costs of funding community buy-outs is not held centrally as funding is available from various sources. I have, however, detailed in the table, the annual costs of funding community buy-outs administered through Highlands and Islands Enterprise Community Land Unit since 1997 when the unit was established.

Financial Year	No. of Acquisitions	£
1997-98	1	30,000
1998-99	4	158,750
1999-2000	13	233,944
2000-01	17	455,181
2001-Present	16	686,469
Total	51	1,564,344

It should be noted that these are approvals of assistance not actual expenditure as there are some projects which have been approved but for various reasons, have not gone ahead. The unit holds limited information on community buy-outs prior to 1997 but are able to advise that three additional buy-outs which occurred in the 1990's before 1997 amounted to capital costs totalling £1,811,500.Details of awards made to assist in community buy-outs from the New Opportunities Fund's Scottish Land Fund, established in February 2001, are a reserved matter for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. Can I invite the member to write to Stephen Dunmore, Chief Executive of the New Opportunities Fund in this regard.

Jobs created by community buy-outs have not been subsidised using the definition of subsidised as "long-term on-going recurrent contribution toward salary and other employment related costs". However, Highlands and Islands Enterprise Community Land Unit have contributed to the running costs of development workers employed by community land owners for fixed time periods, usually a maximum of three years. Details of contributions follow:

Funding Type	Applicant Group	HIE Funding Approved
Project Officer	Isle of Gigha Heritage Trust	£30,000
Project Officer	The Laggan Forest Trust Forestry Company Ltd	£24,391
Project Officer	The Isle of Eigg Heritage Trust	£20,839
Project Officer	Fernaig Community Trust	£24,520
Project Officer	Kinlochleven Land Development Trust	£17,333
Project Officer	Colonsay Community Development Company	£29,680
Total		£116,763

Details of jobs created by community buy-outs since 1994 are not available. It should be recognised that for many community land initiatives, job creation is not necessarily the primary objective. Priorities can vary, and include security and control of land, environmental management, access and amenity, provision of social services, building management, and promotion of voluntary activity.Job creation and retention, both of a direct and indirect type, can take time. In some community land buy-outs, there has been some initial loss of employment as the new community owner attempts to put the estate on a more sound, financially sustainable footing. In others, the formation of subsidiary companies and encouragement of other business start-up has created indirect spin-off employment.Highlands and Islands Enterprise Community Land Unit have, however, estimated the employment impact of two community land owners as follows:

Knoydart	12.75
Eigg	19

These figures include created, retained, direct and indirect jobs.

The Scottish Executive reviews annually accidents on trunk roads and investigates clusters of accidents at particular locations and routes with high accident rates. The Executive undertakes annually a programme of road safety remedial measures on the trunk road network targeted at such locations. Local authorities are responsible for road safety on local roads in their areas. In particular, local authorities are required to investigate accidents on local roads and to carry out a programme of measures to prevent such accidents.The Scottish Executive provides funding to the Scottish Road Safety Campaign for the development of key road safety education materials and publicity messages. Copies of the campaign's Annual Report and Business Plan for 2001-02 are available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 17135).

I am currently considering responses to the Green Paper, Scotland's Freshwater Fish and Fisheries: Securing their Future. This contained a number of proposed initiatives aimed at protecting and promoting both Scotland's game and coarse fish and fisheries.