The EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) aims to control all impacts on the water environment with the aim of achieving good ecological status for water bodies by 2015. The directive introduced river basin management plans (RBMPs) to manage our water environment. These are required to set out the environmental pressures and what can be done to address them. This includes steps to restore and protect wetlands. Draft RBMPs for the Solway Tweed river basin districts have now been consulted on, and SEPA will publish both RBMPs in December 2009.

The draft RBMPs are available on the SEPA website at:

http://www.sepa.org.uk/water/river_basin_planning.aspx.

The Scottish Government currently funds improvements to rivers through a number of funding streams, to deliver the objectives of the river basin management plans. These funding streams include the Scottish Rural Development Programme, a restoration fund managed by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, funding to fisheries boards and trusts and natural flood management demonstration work.

There is no information held centrally on how many jobs such funding might directly support.

The Scottish Government currently funds improvements to wetlands through a number of funding streams, to deliver the objectives of the river basin management plans. These funding streams include the Scottish Rural Development Programme, a restoration fund managed by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, and natural flood management demonstration work.

There is no information held centrally on how many jobs such funding might directly support.

The EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) aims to control all impacts on the water environment with the aim of achieving good ecological status for water bodies by 2015. The directive introduced river basin management plans (RBMPs) to manage our water environment. These are required to set out the environmental pressures and what can be done to address them. This includes steps to mitigate the effects of climate change on rivers and lakes. Draft RBMPs for the Solway Tweed river basin districts have now been consulted on, and SEPA will publish both RBMPs in December 2009.

The draft RBMPs are available on the SEPA website at:

http://www.sepa.org.uk/water/river_basin_planning.aspx.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) has statutory responsibility for controlling potential sources of pollution from sites it regulates in urban areas. These include emissions from industrial facilities, sewage treatment works and surface water drainage and waste management activities. SEPA is able to determine the location of environmental emission sources within regulated sites and monitor and assess the accumulative environmental impacts of such emissions. In addition, SEPA''s environmental surveillance monitoring enables it to trace and investigate any unauthorised emissions, together with any potential pollution incidents notified by members of the public.

Additionally, the Scottish Government assists local authorities to implement their duties under the Environment Act 1995 to review and assess air quality by issuing comprehensive guidance, which can be found at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Environment/waste-and-pollution/Pollution-1/16215/TG09.

Complementary investment under the Home Insulation Scheme, which will be in addition to the £15 million allocated by the Scottish Government, will be delivered mainly from Carbon Emissions Reduction Target activity and owner contributions. The amount of investment contributed from these sources will depend on the uptake of measures under the first phase of the scheme which will cover at least 90,000 homes. Complementary investment will also be provided from local councils and other local partners in the selected areas. Complementary investment from some of the local councils selected for the first phase of the Home Insulation Scheme is subject to final confirmation and approval.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-25584 on 27 July 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

I refer the member to the answers to question S3W-25585 on 27 July 2009 and question S3W-21691 on 27 March 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

The package presents a holistic approach to tackling fuel poverty by providing a range of people with a range of services at each stage including: income maximisation, energy efficiency advice and social tariff checks at stages 1 and 2, standard insulation measures at stage 3, and enhanced measures to improve the energy efficiency of the home at stage 4.

Stage 4 is designed to provide bespoke assistance to meet the individual household''s needs, and therefore a wide range of measures is considered which includes internal and external wall insulation, central heating and air source heat pumps. Draught proofing, tank and pipe lagging, loft and cavity insulation will always be provided where technically feasible; other measures will depend on impact on energy efficiency of the home, technical feasibility and individual preferences.

The range of measures available at stage 4 are outlined in the Home Energy Assistance Scheme (Scotland) Regulations 2009 available here:

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/legislation/scotland/ssi2009/ssi_20090048_en_1.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-25589 on 27 July 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.