The A9 between Perth and Inverness is a high speed long distance road with limited access. There is a strong presumption against providing new junctions.

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.

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.

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.

Where a salmon fishing abuts croft land it is intended that only the part of the salmon fishing property which actually abuts the croft land should be capable of being acquired through the crofting community right to buy.

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.

The requirements of section 14(2) of the Crofters (Scotland) Act 1993 relating to valuation of a croft apply solely to the purchase of a croft by the tenant of that croft where that purchase is a consequence of an order made by the Land Court under section 13 of the Crofters (Scotland) Act 1993. The provisions relating to the valuation of land under Part 3 of the Land Reform Bill are contained in section 85 of the bill and these make it clear that the consideration will be based on the market value of the land as determined by a valuer. Section 85 does not constrain the valuer to any particular methodology in assessing market value.

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.

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.