Chamber and committees

he Executive recognises thatpeatland also offers the potential to assist delivery of its target for reducedcarbon emissions by 2050. The Scottish Executive supports the maintenance andrestoration of peatlands through its agri-environment schemes and throughScottish Natural Heritage (SNH). SNH’s Natural Care Schemes are targetedthrough the Caithness and Sutherland and Lewis Peatland Management Schemesas well as other management agreements with individual owners and occupiers ofpeat bogs.

Projects aimed atrestoration of blanket and raised bogs in Scotland have additionally benefited from substantial supportfrom the EC Life-Nature Programme. These initiatives have received Scottish Executive support and this will continue in future where appropriate.

TheUK Blanket Bog Habitat Action Plan target is to restore 75% of the total extentof restorable blanket bog in the UK by 2015. Scotland’s contribution to this target is being monitoredthrough a series of interim targets, the first of which is to bring the totalarea of blanket bog in or near favourable condition to 340,000 hectares by2005. Progress towards these targets is monitored and overseen by ScottishNatural Heritage.

Scottish Natural Heritage iscurrently working to develop an agreed definition of “favourable condition”,and assess the condition of blanket bog within the Sites of Special Scientific Interestseries, and that exercise has not yet been completed. To help secure favourablecondition and restore areas of minor degradation, Scottish Natural Heritageoperates a number of management schemes and agreements as well as contributingto specific bog restoration projects.

TheExecutive is working with the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and theDepartment for Environment Food and Rural Affairs on the implementation of theDirective, and is represented on an Office of the Deputy Prime Ministerimplementation group.

I am publishing today a consultation paper: River Basin Districts - Proposals for Scotland. I am placing copies in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 28995).

The Executive promised to consult before a final decision was taken on the boundaries of the proposed river basin districts, and this new consultation fulfils that commitment. The consultation paper contains the Executive’s legislative intentions for the implementation of the designation of River Basin Districts in Scotland and in the cross border area with England.

The act has laid the foundation for a modernised approach to protecting and enhancing the water environment. The need to involve, take account of and balance all interests will be a cornerstone of this new approach, especially in the cross border areas, where we will work closely with the Scottish Environment ProtectionAgency, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Environment Agency to ensure effective implementation of the Water Framework Directive.

Scottish expenditure on agri-environment schemes over the past two years has been:

2001-02	2002-03
£21.5 million	£27.5 million

Total expenditure on schemes contained within the Scottish Rural Development Plan over the same period was:

2001-02	2002-03
£85.0 million	£112.1 million

Agri-environment schemes in Scotland therefore accounted for around 25% of total expenditure in both 2001-02 and 2002-03. Information relating to England is a matter for DEFRA (www.defra.gov.uk) and to Wales for NAWAD (www.assembly.wales.gov.uk).To date there has been no expenditure on pilot agri-environment schemes in Scotland and I understand that it is the same in England and Wales.

Fifty point six percent of respondents to the consultation paper, Proposals for changes to Agri-environment Schemes in Scotland supported the continuation of the Environmentally Sensitive Area Scheme, rather than transferring to the Rural Stewardship Scheme (RSS) in its current form. These responses were received before I announced on 2 July that I had approved 99% of this year's applications to the RSS.I am currently considering arrangements for continued agri-environment support for people leaving ESA scheme agreements, and the responses to the other proposals in the consultation paper. I intend to make an announcement shortly.

It is our normal practice to consult about proposed changes to the Scottish Rural Development Plan. Accordingly if the mid-term evaluation exercise identifies the need for change then any proposals to amend the plan will be subject to consultation.

All past amendments to the Scottish Rural Development Plan (SDRP) have been the subject of consultation. We have already consulted on proposed improvements to support for environmentally-friendly and organic farming for intended inclusion in this year's SRDP amendment.

I have audiences with Her Majesty The Queen from time to time.

The Scottish Executive has decided to retain all previously designated (14) sensitive areas, and additionally has designated nine rivers and one stretch of marine water. These have been identified as sensitive areas in accordance with the terms of the Urban Waste Water Treatment (Scotland) Regulations 1994. The additional sensitive areas have been identified because of eutrophication, or in order to meet the requirements of the Surface Waters (Fishlife) (Classification) (Scotland) Regulations 1997, or in order to meet the requirements of the Surface Waters (Shellfish) (Classification) (Scotland) Regulations 1997. In all cases, the consequences of the designations are that Scottish Water has to provide treatment in addition to the standard secondary biological treatment for significant sewage discharges into the catchments of these waters.For discharges into the River Don, additional phosphorus treatment is being provided at the Persley treatment works; for the other listed rivers discharges are being treated to reduce ammonia levels to protect freshwater fishlife. In the case of the coastal water from St Andrews round to Fife Ness, additional disinfection treatment has been put into place at the St Andrews discharge to protect the quality of the shellfish water. In all cases the additional treatment provides further protection to these designated waters, resulting in environmental benefits, and to allow the waters to meet relevant environmental quality standards.The River Don has been designated sensitive to combat eutrophication. River Isla, Teviot Water (lower), River Ettrick, River Tyne, River North Esk, South Calder Water, River Clyde (lower) and Black Cart Water have all been designated sensitive to protect fresh water for fish. St Andrews to Fife Ness has been designated to protect shellfish water.I am placing copies of maps, showing the location of these designated sensitive areas, in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 26935). Copies will also be deposited with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency for public inspection. My officials are sending a letter to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency requiring them to ensure, under their statutory powers, that compliance with discharge consent conditions which include tertiary treatment standards are met for discharge to an into the catchments of these sensitive areas. Additionally, my officials will publish a notice of the additional sensitive designations in the Edinburgh Gazette.