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New road projects recentlycompleted, underway or scheduled to be delivered during the current programme inthe area of Perth and Kinross Council area are as follows:

Road	Scheme Details	Estimated Cost (£ Million)	Status
M90	Perth Southern Bypass –  reconstruction of westbound carriageway	2.0	Completed
M90	Bridge of Earn to Craigend – reconstruction of southbound carriageway	2.1	Underway
M90/A9	M90 Broxden Roundabout and A9 Inveralmond Roundabout improvements (combined scheme)	2.2	Underway
A9	Balhaldie to Greenloaning – reconstruction/refurbishment of the northbound and southbound carriageways	2.6	Underway
A9	Abbey Bridge to Auchterarder reconstruction of the southbound carriageway	1.5	Completed
A9	Bankfoot – junction improvements and construction of a climbing lane	2.4	Estimated start 2007-08
A9	Kindallachan  - junction  improvements	0.5	Estimated start 2007-08
A9	Ballinluig – construction of grade separated interchange	14.4	Estimated start 2007-08
A9	Resurfacing of carriageway south of Dalnaspidal	1.0	Completed
A90	Glendoick and Kinfauns grade separated interchanges	14.0	Completed

 

In addition, we haverecently undertaken a Route Improvement Strategy Study of the A9 from Perth toBlair Atholl which identified £165 million worth of long-term improvement work.Detailed studies are now being carried out on how best to take forward theseimprovements to the A9 including dualling between Perth and Pitlochry, safeovertaking provision and reconstruction along this environmentally sensitiveroute.

Transport Scotland hasthe operational responsibility for this area, and can be contacted for moreinformation if required.

No new trunk road projectsare currently scheduled for the section of the A90 trunk road running through thearea of Angus Council.

Transport Scotland hasthe operational responsibility for this area, and can be contacted for moreinformation if required.

The Ardoch Fort complex is currentlybeing rescheduled to extend the protected area to the north and west in order toprotect all Roman remains visible as crop marks on aerial photographs.

Whilst on-going management of the site is the responsibility of the owner, the 1979 act does not impose any obligationon the owner of a monument to maintain it. Historic Scotland can and does offergrants to owners for works that benefit a monument. Recently, several grants havebeen given to support the better management of the site, and to allow it to be appreciatedas a single entity.

The current greatest single problemis a recurrence of rabbit infestation. Between August 2005 and March 2006, rabbitproof fencing was erected around the site, jointly funded by a Rural StewardshipScheme application and a Historic Scotland grant. It is hoped that this barrier,combined with a program of night shooting, will reduce the number of rabbits inthe fort in coming years. Historic Scotland officials continue to be closely involvedin this case and visit the site regularly.

An erosion survey of the fortis currently being undertaken. This will complement the erosion survey which tookplace in 1997, and provide information on the stability of the monument over a 10year period.

Environmentand Rural Development

 Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whatfunding it is providing to protect Scotland’s trees and woodlands such as the FortingallYew and Meikleour beech hedge.

(S2W-31798)

Sarah Boyack: One of Forestry Commission Scotland’s(FCS) key responsibilities is to protect Scotland’s trees, woods and forests. This is mainly administeredthrough felling permissions, long-term forest plans and direct grant-aid for forestestablishment and management through grant incentives such as the Scottish ForestryGrants Scheme.

Heritage trees within woodlandscan be supported and protected as part of an FCS grant scheme or through regulatorypermissions. Individual trees of particularly high amenity value can also be protectedby Tree Preservation Orders which are issued by local planning authorities. Thereare also local initiatives supported by FCS, which promote the importance of highvalue heritage trees. For example, the FCS inventory of Scotland’s heritagetrees led to the publication Heritage Trees of Scotland, which featuresboth the Fortingall Yew and the Meikleour Beech Hedge. The “Perthshire Big TreeCountry” initiative - a £1.8 million project delivered via Perth and KinrossCountryside Trust to which FCS has contributed around £600,000 through the ScottishForestry Grant Scheme – is helping to safeguard the future of heritage trees inPerthshire.

This is a matter for Perth and KinrossCouncil. The information requested is not held centrally.

This is a matter for Angus Council.The information requested is not held centrally.

The Executive issued a comprehensivedocument entitled Guidance on the Circumstances in Which Parents may Choose toEducate their Children at Home (Bib. number 31676) in March 2004. That guidancewas issued under Section 14 of the Standards in Scotland’s Schools etc. Act 2000.Education authorities are required, under the terms of section 14, to have regardto it.

There are no plans at this stageto relocate staff from the FRS facility at Faskally. Fisheries Research Servicesare however conducting an option appraisal exercise to ascertain whether or notfurther investment in the Faskally site represents good value for money, comparedto a range of other options. Any decision will be consistent with the Scottish Executive’srelocation policy.

Historic Scotland issued hardcopies of an abstract of the Official Report of the parliamentary debateon the Stone of Destiny on 13 December 2006 to the Commissioners of the Regaliaon Friday 9 February 2007 in order to ensure that the commissioners were fully informedof the debate if they had not previously read the Official Report publishedon the Scottish Parliament website.

At the request of the First Minister,I wrote to the Lord Advocate, the Lord Justice Clerk and the Lord Clerk Registerprior to the debate to inform them that it was taking place. All responded priorto the debate and were unanimous in their view that the stone should remain at EdinburghCastle. I have received no further correspondence from the Commissioners of theRegalia on this matter following the parliamentary debate on 13 December 2006.