To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to adhere to the expenditure plans for motorways and trunk roads improvement in the period 1999 to 2002 as outlined in Serving Scotland’s Needs (March 1999).

The expenditure plans set out in ‘Serving Scotland’s Needs’ are the current estimates of spending for Scotland’s programmes, including motorways and trunk roads. As I said during the debate on Financial Issues on 24 June, I intend to make a statement in the autumn on the financial expenditure announced in the partnership agreement, and our budget proposals for 2000-01.