Six expressions of support for the link road have been received.

In their decision letter following the Public Inquiry, Scottish ministers accepted the reporter's recommendation to give early consideration to funding the option of extending the link road through to Inchture Interchange. Due to higher priorities on the A90 and elsewhere on the trunk road network it has, to date, not proved possible to accommodate the link road in the current programme.

All the non-confidential responses to the consultation on the draft Land Reform (Scotland) Bill are available in the Parliament's Reference Centre. The consultation was not a referendum on any particular bill provision but rather sought views on the bill as a whole. Most considered responses were qualitative in nature and did not express outright support or opposition to any particular proposals.

Salmon fishings which are "eligible croft land" for the purposes of section 67(4)(b) of the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill are those defined as such by section 65(2)(d) of that bill.

The Scottish Executive has been aware from the outset that many of the provisions in the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill would require to be carefully formulated to comply with the European Convention on Human Rights. Ministers consider that the provisions in the bill, including those relating to the acquisition of salmon fishings, achieve that outcome, and there are no grounds on which it could successfully be argued that there is incompatibility with the convention.

As with any other crofting community right to buy application, an application for a right to buy salmon fishings would be required to include the information specified in section 70(5)(e), (f) and (g) of the bill and to succeed such an application must also meet criteria specified in section 71(1)(j), (k), (l) and (o). I am sure these requirements could not be successfully met without demonstrating how the on-going management of the salmon fishings is to be funded.

If there has been any damage done to the confidence of prospective investors in salmon fishings it has been done by those people who have, in contesting our proposals, sought to suggest that there will be massive adverse effects on the quality of the fishing that will be available in the future as a result of this legislation. Any problems which exist will be resolved when opponents stop talking up the problems and start making realistic and sober assessments of the effects of these proposals. From that perspective the most useful way in which the Executive can ensure investor confidence would be to make sure that this bill is enacted as quickly as possible.

The meaning of "contiguous" is clear and unambiguous. It means "touching" or "sharing a border with". In the context of the bill contiguous salmon fishings must abut the croft land and they will only be eligible croft land insofar as they do so.

None. Such arrangements may enable those who currently control and manage the fishings to continue to do so. The crofting community may still be able to purchase the salmon fishings and if they do so may benefit as owners from any revenues to be derived in the form of rent etc. from such arrangements.

The definition of "inland waters" in part 1 of the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill does not apply to part 3.