To ask the Scottish Executive whether any financial assistance will be provided for the promotion of the (a) Edinburgh Marathon 2003 and (b) Loch Ness Marathon 2003; whether financial assistance in meeting part of the costs of advertising such events in journals such as Runners World may lead to a substantial return on investment for the tourism industry by spreading awareness of the events to a wider audience; whether VisitScotland provided any direct financial assistance for the Loch Ness Marathon 2002, and, if so, what the reasons are for the change in VisitScotland's position that no financial assistance was available, given in response to a letter from me urging it to provide such assistance.