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The Scottish Government has not assessed the non-financial costs to the environment of the total or partial loss of the honey-bee population. We are, however, aware of the important role they play in pollinating crops as well as our wild or native plants.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-11628 on 23 April 2008. 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/wa.search.

No specific sums have been identified. Rail safety and security are reserved matters. Where work has been identified as necessary this will be taken forward through the relevant industry funding forums.

I have regular meetings with the police service in Scotland about a range of issues relating to policing, including counter terrorism.

Responsibility for the British Transport Police lies with the UK Parliament in Westminster.

The information requested is not held centrally.

The seven Bills introduced since May 2007 reflect the policies and priorities of the Scottish Government.

Statistics on student loans for higher education in Scotland are published on the internet on an annual basis. The balance of outstanding student loans in Scotland (including those not yet due for repayment) at the end of financial year 2006-07 was £1.8 billion.

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Lifelong-learning/PubStudentLoansHE.

Statistics for financial year 2007-08 will be published on the internet on 12 June 2008 under the National Statistics Protocol.

No specific sums have been identified. Rail safety and security are reserved matters. Where work has been identified as necessary this will be taken through the relevant industry funding forums.

Choosing Scotland''s Future sets out the Scottish Government''s view that on independence, the current parliamentary and political union of Great Britain and Northern Ireland would become a monarchical and social union, united kingdoms rather than a United Kingdom, maintaining the relationship first forged in 1603 by the Union of the Crowns and that both nations would be equal members of the European Union and thus partners in, among other things, the single market. This proposed relationship between the nations of these isles will better reflect the needs and realities of Scotland in the 21st century.

The white paper explains that within this relationship, a broad range of cultural, social, and policy initiatives would continue and it is likely that both an independent Scotland and the remainder of the United Kingdom would seek to maintain a series of cross-border partnerships and services, much in the same way as the current British-Irish Council or indeed the Nordic Council. A Scotland separate from the United Kingdom would in contrast not involve any of these positive and appropriate partnerships between equal and independent nation states.

For security reasons, it is not possible to provide information on the First Minister''s future travel arrangements. However, the First Minister has used public transport and has walked to and from events in recent months and plans to do so in future, when appropriate opportunities present themselves. He will continue to make travel choices based on the nature of his diary, the location of engagements, security considerations and what business needs to be conducted while travelling.