This is not a right which we would expect crofting communities to attempt to exercise frequently, but it will be there if they want it. It will also help to ensure that in future all landowners in the Highlands and Islands have a proper regard for the interests, needs and sustainable development of the fragile crofting communities in which their properties are located.

The objective of land reform is to remove land-based barriers to the sustainable development of rural communities. It is not expected that crofting communities will wish to exercise the crofting community right to buy unless the current ownership has proved to be just such a land based barrier. An application by a crofting community body to exercise the right to buy land will not succeed unless the proposed acquisition will deliver sustainable development and be in the public interest. Each application will be considered on its merits and with reference to the criteria which ministers must take into account in reaching a decision. An application would not be considered to be in the public interest if granting that application would result in severe detriment to the sustainable development of other land. It is, of course, open to any landowner to seek to avoid problems of severance by either utilising the provisions of section 76 of the bill or negotiating a sale of his/her property to the crofting community. In addition, if a successful application results in severance and depreciation of other property, section 85(6)(a)(ii) of the bill provides that the price paid should take account of this.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-22209 on 6 February 2002.

The Scottish Executive provides core funding of £175,000 for Alcohol Focus Scotland, Scotland's national voluntary organisation on alcohol. Funding for local groups who provide support and treatment services for people with alcohol problems is provided by local authorities and NHS boards.

There is no universally accepted definition of an alcohol-related death. The information given in the following table relates to deaths certified as due to alcoholic liver disease, alcoholic cardiomyopathy and mental and behavioural disorders due to alcohol.Deaths due to Alcoholic Liver Disease, Alcoholic Cardiomyopathy and Mental and Behavioural Disorders due to Alcohol in 1999-2001 by Gender.

	Males	Females	Total
1999	711	302	1,013
2000	791	338	1,129
2001	862	358	1,220

Source: General Register Office for Scotland.Notes:Alcohol-related conditions are defined using the World Health Organisation's International Classification of Diseases 9th and 10th Revisions (ICD9 and ICD10).Figures for 2001 are provisional.

Information on the number of women admitted to psychiatric hospitals and units for alcoholic psychosis, alcoholic dependence syndrome and non-dependent abuse of alcohol in the last year is given below.Women Admitted to Mental Illness Hospitals and Psychiatric Units with Alcohol-Related Problems During 2000-01 by Diagnosis.

Diagnosis	Number
Main Diagnosis
Alcohol dependence	705
Alcohol non-dependence	213
Alcoholic psychosis	117
Secondary Diagnosis
Alcohol dependence	104
Alcohol non-dependence	128
Alcoholic psychosis	16

Source: Scottish Morbidity Record, SMR04Text of answer.Note:Alcohol-related conditions are defined using the World Health Organisation's International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision (ICD10).

The Executive's Plan for Action on alcohol problems which was published on 18 January 2002, sets out that alcohol problems services should be sensitive to the needs of particular groups, including women. The Executive has recently consulted on a framework for alcohol problems support and treatment services and has consulted with groups who have a specific interest in women with alcohol problems.The Health Education Board for Scotland, Alcohol Focus Scotland and the National Association of Alcohol Action Teams held a seminar on women and alcohol in April at which I spoke. One outcome from the seminar was a commitment to establishing a women and alcohol network. The network will provide a vehicle for the development and dissemination of good practice in working with women, including the development of gender-sensitive approaches.

The Executive's Plan for Action on alcohol problems, which was published on 18 January, acknowledges that there are gaps in current alcohol support and treatment services across Scotland. It requires Alcohol Action Teams to assess local needs and develop local strategies by April 2003, ensuring that account is taken of the particular difficulties in providing confidential and accessible services in rural areas. The Executive is developing a framework for alcohol problems services which will assist local areas to assess needs, identify gaps and develop strategies for services accordingly.

The cost would depend on how the provisions in it were to be implemented.

No such transitional arrangements are currently being made. There are no current or outstanding applications, and none are anticipated before the Order in Council, under section 30 of the Scotland Act 1998, on the promotion and construction of railways comes into force.