Whether Fife Council would decide to release such information, or withhold it on grounds of commercial confidentiality, is a matter for the council. The Freedom of Information (Scotland) Bill would, if enacted, provide individuals with a right of access to information, balanced by provisions intended to ensure that commercially sensitive information is afforded appropriate protection. Consideration of whether information would be disclosed would be made on a case by case basis.

Neither Thompsons Solicitors and Solicitor Advocates nor Digby Brown Solicitors has been instructed to carry out legal or other services on behalf of the Executive. The procurement of legal and other services by local authorities, Local Enterprise Companies and other public bodies is a matter for the individual body concerned and central records are not held by the Executive.

The fees payable to the Registers of Scotland in respect of such applications and its various information services are the subject of periodic review. The fees applicable to such applications were set in the Fees in the Registers of Scotland Order 1995 (SI 1995/1945) on the basis of an ad valorem scale. That scale bases the fee level for recording and registration on the value of the property transaction, thus maintaining such fee levels in line with the property market and inflation.The fees for recording, registration and information services were the subject of a consultative review in 1998 which led to the Fees in the Registers of Scotland Amendment Order 1999 (SI 1999/1085). That Order left the ad valorem scale for the recording and registration fees in question unchanged.The fees which the agency may charge are set at a level to meet its operating costs, but also to ensure that conveyancing costs in Scotland are kept as low as possible. This policy is consistent with section 25 of the Land Registers (Scotland) Act 1868 which requires that the amount of fees payable shall not be greater than is reasonably sufficient for defraying the expenses of the Registers of Scotland, including the expenses of the improvement of the systems of registration and recording.

The Scottish Executive has no functions in relation to the Health and Safety implications in the proposed European Commission's Physical Agents Directive. Therefore representations to the European Commission will be a matter for the UK Government.

All the private sector companies responsible for trunk road maintenance need to demonstrate that their arrangements meet the detailed and exacting requirements set out in their contracts.Contractors' performance is reviewed and monitored continuously by the Performance Audit Group who report to the Scottish Executive. If the contractors fail to perform there are a range of sanctions that the Scottish Executive could take.

Decisions as to the investigation of deaths are taken independently by the Lord Advocate. It is for the Lord Advocate to determine which of his officials carries out an investigation.

Yes.

This is a matter for Scottish Natural Heritage. The information requested is not held centrally.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-19505.

The Scottish Executive's proposals, contained in the draft Land Reform Bill which provides for a community right to buy, extend to the whole of rural Scotland, including property owned by Scottish Natural Heritage.