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On pages 89-90 of Volume I of the report, Deloitte and Touche estimate the resource costs of option 4A, a minimum function HIITA, as being around £600,000.This estimate provides a baseline by which one could calculate the resource costs of a most-function HIITA (Option 4B), depending on which of the additional functions were taken on.

The total costs incurred by Deloitte and Touche were around £125,000. This represents good value, given the comprehensive consultation exercise and the need to analyse a very complex set of issues.

The remit given to Deloitte and Touche was prepared in partnership by the Scottish Executive, the six local authorities involved in the study, and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. All the partners agreed that it was not for Deloitte and Touche to recommend a single way forward, but instead to advise on the issues to be considered by the partners in reaching such a decision.Consistent with this, Deloitte and Touche set out the case for and against establishing a HIITA and make recommendations about the form a HIITA might take, for example, that Shetland should not be included in any authority.

Thorough disinfection of vehicles is carried out under strict supervision on behalf of Scottish Ministers, once livestock have been unloaded at the abattoir. This system should help to ensure that any risk of infection is minimal.

The scheme licensing the movement of animals to slaughter for human consumption, which came into effect at midnight on 2 March, permits animals from outside infected areas to be moved under strict controls direct from the farm to a slaughterhouse. Where such movements go within 3km of an infected place this may only be done by motorway, trunk road or railway. The movement of livestock from farms which lie within areas where foot-and-mouth disease has been confirmed is prohibited.Information on the number of applications for a licence to move livestock from an infected area is not held centrally. If any such applications were received they would be rejected.The transportation of livestock across roads within infected areas is not permitted unless under licence for animal welfare purposes.With this arrangement operating, the movement of stock is kept under review.

The Executive will continue to support the development of salmon farming within a framework which has due regard to the environment and to the interests of other coastal stakeholders. To that end it is involved in a range of initiatives which includes a comprehensive R&D programme, a fish health inspection regime and a new FIFG scheme designed to support competitiveness and to assist businesses to diversify and embrace more environmentally sustainable practices. We are actively considering the Rural Development and the Transport and Environment Committees' recent request and will give our reply soon.

Personal Medical Services contracts are designed to meet local needs and the local services which will be provided to meet those needs. The level of GP remuneration will be determined locally, on the basis of the local services to be provided.

As explained in my response to question S1W-12677 on 14 February, sportscotland has offered to fund an independent review of the Camanachd Association. The Association's response was to reject the offer and instead propose that an independently chaired working party be set up to look at the differences between it and sportscotland. sportscotland rejected this approach because of concerns that a working party would focus on the issue of the Camanachd Association's core funding, an issue on which a decision has already been taken.An independent review of the Camanachd Association would be wide ranging and its aim would be to ensure the long term success of shinty and the viability of the Association. The cost of a review would be approximately £10,000. sportscotland would not consider redirecting the one off costs of a review to the Camanachd Association's core grant as there is presently no basis on which to increase the Camanachd Association's core funding. sportscotland's offer of an independent review remains on the table. The way forward for the Camanachd Association and the sport of shinty is to accept the offer.

During 1999 and 2000, officials within the Scottish Executive Road Network Management and Maintenance Division gave advice to Scottish planning authorities on 1250 planning applications some of which would have included requests for new accesses onto trunk roads. The determination of these planning applications then rests with the relevant local planning authority. Generally, proposals for new accesses to trunk roads are assessed by the Executive and relevant local planning authority, on a case by case basis. The benefits and costs of trunk road access are carefully assessed, (with particular regard to the likely impact on accidents and traffic flows), alongside those of the alternative options available to meet the developers' needs.

It will be for the existing and incoming operators to decide whether there is a need for workers to be made redundant. The tender documents do not require that all existing staff be retained. Our current expectation is that the TUPE Regulations will apply.

The Scottish Executive recognised at the outset that the comments made in Construction News on 9 November were inaccurate. The Executive issued letters to concerned councils to advise them that the articles were without foundation as no decision had at that time been taken.