To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-33518 by Mr Jim Wallace on 7 February 2003, whether there has been any further negotiation regarding the disposal of the former remand centre at Longriggend, North Lanarkshire, and what the future use of the centre will be.

I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:

Negotiations with the potential purchaser are still on-going. While the SPS has no knowledge of what the future use of the site will be, we would expect that any proposed development would be subject to an application to the local planning authority.