The allocation for the trunk roads network, including investment in new construction, improvements and routine maintenance, is £774 million between 1999 and 2003. This does not include capital charges and other adjustments made as a result of the introduction of resource accounting and budgeting from April 2001. A more detailed breakdown is shown in the Executive's Annual Expenditure Reports, copies of which are held by the Parliament's Reference Centre.

Sure Start Scotland seeks to give a positive start to the lives of very young children by providing broad-based support to children and families from deprived areas. The first phase of the evaluation of Sure Start Scotland focused on mapping the provision of services. We will disseminate the findings shortly.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-21955.

The current review of funding for the voluntary sector is looking at the Executive's own grant-making procedures, with a view to developing a co-ordinated Executive funding strategy for the voluntary sector. The next stage will be a wider, strategic funding review. As well as looking at the wider issues identified in the direct funding consultation paper, it will look at how the Executive's indirect funding meets the needs of the sector and whether it is possible for all the indirect funders to work together to ensure that they are operating in a way that meets their own needs and those of the sector.We expect the wider review to commence in the summer.

The Scottish Executive has consulted with COSLA, the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations and a number of charitable trusts in considering the content of the next phase of the voluntary sector funding review.

The Homelessness Task Force is currently finalising its report and recommendations, which I expect to be published before the end of February.

The Social Economy Review has been conducted by Mr Stephen Maxwell, on secondment to the Executive for this purpose from the Scottish Council of Voluntary Organisations. Mr Maxwell is currently finalising his report which will be published once his work is complete. Once we have seen and studied the final version of the report and its conclusions, my colleagues and I, in consultation with interested parties, will wish to determine what actions are required to encourage the further development of the social economy in Scotland.

The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with Ofgem on a wide range of issues, including the regulation of electricity supply prices.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-21955.

The Executive announced a scheme to exempt certain premises from water and sewerage charges on 15 January 2002. In the period leading up to that announcement, the Executive discussed charitable reliefs with the water authorities on a number of separate occasions.