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The matter is already under consideration within the Executive. We have made initial contact with Skye Bridge Limited with a view to starting discussions shortly.

I can announce that the Scottish ministers have granted consent on this proposal in terms of section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989.The section 36 consent for the Paul's Hill proposal in Moray was subject to a thorough consultation process. Moray Council, as key consultee, ensured local planning and environmental issues were at the forefront of this decision-making process.This proposal will make a meaningful contribution to the delivery of the Scottish Climate Change Programme.

We have made good progress. The Executive is committed to its policy of dispersing jobs from Edinburgh and wants the benefits of these jobs to be widely available across Scotland. Last autumn, we announced a further relocation initiative aimed at rural and more remote areas of Scotland. We will be receiving proposals from organisations covered by the relocation policy in the spring.I am pleased to announce that we have looked at operations carried out by the Scottish Executive itself and we have identified additional opportunities for relocation. The jobs come from across the Executive and cover a range of functions. In total around 80 jobs will move probably to between four and seven different locations.We will be working closely with Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Scottish Enterprise and COSLA to identify suitable locations. We are confident that with the support of the Enterprise bodies and local authorities this work can be carried out at locations remote from the main headquarters offices in Edinburgh or Glasgow.

I can announce that the Scottish ministers have granted consent on this proposal in terms of section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989. Additionally this consent carries deemed planning permission in terms of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 This hydro development builds on existing infrastructure. The consultation process revealed little opposition. Following consultation with Highland Council, conditions were attached to this consent to safeguard local and environmental interests.

I can announce that the Scottish ministers have granted consent on this proposal in terms of section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989. Additionally this consent carries deemed planning permission in terms of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997. Argyll and Bute Council supported this proposal as it fitted well with Local Development Plans. This proposal will make a useful contribution to the Climate Change Programme with few or no adverse environmental costs.

We have made good progress, in addition to the 650 posts already dispersed throughout Scotland under this policy a number of relocation reviews are nearing conclusion and the results will be announced shortly. And today I am announcing that around 250 posts from the Edinburgh Headquarters of Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) will be relocated to Inverness by April 2005. Detailed work in partnership with SNH, the unions and the Executive will take place to ensure a smooth transition.

The Scottish Executive is taking forward the implementation in Scotland of the UK obligations under the Convention on Biological Diversity as part of our commitment to sustainable development. We intend to ensure that the Nature Conservation Bill establishes a new duty on Scottish ministers and all public bodies to further the conservation of biodiversity in the exercise of their functions. The Scottish Biodiversity Forum has developed, at the request of my colleague Allan Wilson, a draft strategy for biodiversity in Scotland which will be an important contribution to meeting the objectives agreed at the World Summit on sustainable development in Johannesburg last year. In addition, Scottish Natural Heritage are spending £20 million in the current year on biodiversity related work and local biodiversity initiatives are developing action on the ground.

Our annual report for 2002 is being published today. The report sets out progress made in 2002 across the four pillars of our drugs strategy, namely young people, communities, treatment and availability. Also outlined is the action we plan to take with our partners over the next 12 months.I am pleased to say that the report provides plenty evidence of how our record levels of investment are making an impact in communities across Scotland. New and improved treatment and rehabilitation services for drug misusers are being rolled out and there are examples of support for families and communities which are being affected by drug misuse. However, balanced against the many positive developments in the report are continuing concerns about the numbers of drug-related deaths, and waiting times for drug treatment in several areas. We are working with the Drug Action Teams and other agencies to address these problems, and there certainly is no room for complacency. Copies of the annual report have been made available to the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 26254) and it has also been published on the Executive's website, the ISD website (www.drugmisuse.isdscotland.org) and the Know the Score website (www.knowthescore.info).

The legality of any approach to the question of water fluoridation would depend on the precise nature of any scheme which might be proposed. Water fluoridation is one of the options on which views are sought in our current consultation paper Towards Better Oral Health in Children, and, as stated previously, the Executive is neutral on this particular issue.

Any such implications would depend on the precise nature of any scheme which might be proposed. Water fluoridation is one of the options on which views are sought in our current consultation paper Towards Better Oral Health in Children, and, as stated previously, the Executive is neutral on this particular issue.