Chamber and committees

The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing will continue to consider carefully the appropriate use of public transport for ministerial engagements based on the nature of her diary, the location of engagements and what business needs to be conducted while travelling.

The Scottish Government has not assessed the non-financial costs to the environment of the total or partial loss of the honey-bee population. We are, however, aware of the important role they play in pollinating crops as well as our wild or native plants.

The information requested is not held centrally.

The seven Bills introduced since May 2007 reflect the policies and priorities of the Scottish Government.

No specific sums have been identified. Rail safety and security are reserved matters. Where work has been identified as necessary this will be taken through the relevant industry funding forums.

No specific sums have been identified. Rail safety and security are reserved matters. Where work has been identified as necessary this will be taken forward through the relevant industry funding forums.

I have regular meetings with the police service in Scotland about a range of issues relating to policing, including counter terrorism.

Responsibility for the British Transport Police lies with the UK Parliament in Westminster.

Statistics on student loans for higher education in Scotland are published on the internet on an annual basis. The balance of outstanding student loans in Scotland (including those not yet due for repayment) at the end of financial year 2006-07 was £1.8 billion.

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Lifelong-learning/PubStudentLoansHE.

Statistics for financial year 2007-08 will be published on the internet on 12 June 2008 under the National Statistics Protocol.

The Scottish Government is clear that a long-term strategy is required for the management and conservation of Bute House and confirms that it will publish plans for any major redevelopment or refurbishment once these have been established. Decisions will be taken in due course supported by work commissioned under the previous administration; no architectural work on the long-term development of the building has been commissioned since May 2007. There have been no detailed discussions on Bute House with the National Trust for Scotland since May 2007 but discussions are likely in the near future.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-12833 on 21 May 2008. 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.