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As part of on-going strategic planning, NHSScotland bodies have been requested to produce individual outline changeover plans for any possible changeover, similar to that produced by the Scottish Executive during 1999. This was a limited management pre-planning exercise carried out from within agreed running costs. Resources have not been diverted from patient care.As part of the pre-planning exercise, NHSScotland bodies were required to produce resource profiles that might be required for different activities during various phases in the event of a possible changeover to the euro.This exercise did not constitute an estimate of the costs of a possible future changeover. It is not possible at this stage to produce estimates of the cost of a changeover to the NHSScotland. The cost of a changeover would be dependent on the timing, the approach taken and individual management decisions. Details of preparations in the public sector for a possible UK entry into EMU may be found in the Treasury's Sixth Report on Euro Preparations published in July.

Under the UK Government's prepare and decide policy, preparatory work for the possible adoption of the euro is under way. This work takes place at both the UK level and at the Scottish level.NHS boards and trusts have been asked to undertake a review of the implications of any possible changeover to the euro. NHS bodies have also been asked to assess the practical steps required and to submit implementation plans to the Scottish Executive. Details of preparations in the public sector for a possible UK entry into EMU may be found in the Treasury's Sixth Report on Euro Preparations published in July.

The Scottish Executive (and UK Government) has made no estimate of the cost of a possible changeover to the euro, either to the public sector or business.The cost of a possible changeover would depend on timing, overall approach taken and individual management decisions.Details of preparations in the public sector for a possible UK entry into EMU may be found in HM Treasury's Sixth Report on Euro Preparations published in July.

Executive policy as reflected in the Land Reform Bill was determined in the light of a range of factors including views expressed in the wide-ranging series of consultations on land reform which started with the consultations undertaken by the Land Reform Policy Group and culminated in the consultation on the draft Land Reform Bill. In this, as in other fields, ministers do not necessarily accept the conclusions, relating to executive policy proposals, reached by any individual organisation that chooses to respond to a consultation.

The estimate in paragraph 324 of the Explanatory Notes to the Land Reform Bill, to which the question refers, relates to the compulsory purchase powers to be found in sections 32(3) and 69(2) of the bill.

The Scottish Executive has no reason to collect such information and has not done so. In any case this is information that can only be readily established through local enquiry. In our view most salmon fishing proprietors will already know whether their salmon fishings are liable to fall within the definition of "eligible croft land". For those that do not it should be relatively straightforward to establish the circumstances of individual salmon fishings on a case by case basis by making local enquiries. A table sent to the Justice 2 Committee on 14 February 2002 listed all the Scottish river systems that are believed to hold salmon and indicated where parts of particular systems were known to run across croft land.

When launching the draft Agricultural Holdings (Scotland) Bill for consultation in April 2002, I announced my intention to include in the bill provisions that would give secure tenant farmers a pre-emptive right to buy their holding when the landlord intended to sell the land. Under these proposals, no landlord would be required to sell land they wished to retain.I have been considering carefully the responses to that consultation. I shall announce my conclusions when the bill is introduced to Parliament, which I hope will be in September.

In assessing the value of croft land, a valuer would only not take account of the matters set out in section 85(6)(a) where these matters do not arise.

The existence of adequate compensation provisions does not provide the justification for the use of compulsory purchase powers. The use of such powers is justified by the contribution they make to the delivery of public policy objectives in the public interest. In such circumstances the use of compulsory purchase powers is acceptable provided there is adequate compensation.

In considering whether any crofting community right to buy application is in the public interest, ministers will be bound to take account of all the information contained in the application, the responses to the application and in further comments from the applicants. In addition ministers will be bound to use all that information to assess the implications and impact of granting or refusing the application for the parties, for the wider local community, for particular sectors of the community, for the future management of the land and for a wide range of public policy issues. Only after having made such an assessment will ministers be in a position to decide whether an application is in the public interest.