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The Scottish Executive has supported the imposition of protective measures on the Inverness to Gatwick air link. The Secretary of State for Transport indicated at the UK Parliament's Transport Committee on 21 May that this issue will be covered in the forthcoming white paper. There are no plans to meet other parties.

Ministers and officials meet airlines regularly and meetings may well take place in the next three months.

BEAR Scotland Ltd will submit the Route Accident Reduction Plan (RARP) for the A82 between Tyndrum and Inverness to the Executive before the end of July 2003. The plan will identify measures for inclusion in trunk road programmes. These measures will be considered and progressed in the normal manner.

The Executive provides for the same level of landscape maintenance on all Scottish trunk roads and the standard is adequate. The Performance Audit Group (PAG) monitors BEAR's performance and any deficiencies identified will be addressed.

Ministers recognise that it is important to visit all parts of Scotland in the course of their ministerial duties. Records of ministerial engagements remain accessible during the parliamentary session. These are not collated by constituency visited and there are no plans to do so in future. All requests for meetings by MSPs are considered by ministers, although records are not collated in the format requested.

This is an operational matter for Scottish Water. The Chief Executive's response is as follows:During the weekend of 18 to 21 April 2003, Scottish Water experienced difficulties with a faulty valve which restricted flows to the Carrbridge area and, combined with higher than normal demand for water supplies, the reduced flow rate was not enough water to supply the village. The valve has been repaired and Scottish Water has put in place further preventative and early-warning measures, including booster pump capacity at the water tank so pressure is maintained during times of high demand and a remote monitoring system to ensure any future problems are detected quickly and efficiently. Scottish Water also plans to invest £2.25 million to replace water mains which are supplying the area and over £3.5 million for improvements at the reservoir and treatment works.

Around £35 million in non-domestic rate income is raised from each 1 pence of the poundage rate. Reducing the poundage rate by 3.4p from the current rate of 47.8p to 44.4p, would cost around £120 million (3.4p x £35 million). This would be a recurring cost.

I have asked Mr Bob Millar, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. His response is as follows:The Executive has not undertaken any research on the Norwegian Government's policy of providing a level of loan for housing based on the meeting of certain criteria, such as providing benefits to the environment, and has no plans at present for the introduction of such loans.

Through the Community Safety Partnership Award Programme we have provided Highland Wellbeing Alliance Community Safety Partnership with £139,500 in 2002-03 and £136,734 in 2003-04 to identify and address community safety priorities. To engage communities, this partnership operate a small grants scheme for local initiatives, involving annual expenditure of roughly £50,000. We do not hold detailed information on these awards but are aware that up to end January 2003 the following 14 initiatives, which appear to be based in the Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber constituency or act on the wider Highland area, benefited from awards under this scheme:SAFE KIDS Coalition for training and awareness raisingAviemore Detached Youth WorkerSafe Tourist Pack - joint initiative aimed at visitors to HighlandAlness New Community School anti-bullying projectNo Excuses Smoke Alarm Project for older people in LochaberKLB Youth Project in KinlochbervieLochaber Grinders Skate ParkHighland Ethnic Minorities GroupPositive Steps - Home Safety checkSocial Firm Development GroupYoung Driver Awareness Campaign in Badenoch and StrathspeyHome Start Ross and CromartyNairn Dog Fouling CampaignCharleston Academy School Bus Safety.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-530 on 10 June 2003. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.