Scottish Natural Heritage(SNH) operates a number of management schemes which include prescriptions toensure the sympathetic management and restoration of peat bogs. These includethe Caithness and Sutherland Peatland Management Scheme, the LewisPeatlands Management Scheme and the Skye Peatlands Management Scheme. Scottish NaturalHeritage also negotiates individual management agreements with the owners andoccupiers of peat bogs throughout Scotland. Total expenditure on SNH management agreements thattarget peatland features was:

1998-99	£597,314
1999-2000	£562,898
2000-01	£605,802
2001-02	£647,409
2002-03	£674,469

In addition to thesemanagement agreements, SNH has contributed approximately £0.5 million for peatbog restoration in Scotland through EC LIFE Nature schemes.

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.

TheExecutive has agreed to make an equitable contribution to the UK Kyoto targetand to work in partnership with the UK Government in moving towards thedomestic goal to reduce 1990 levels of UK carbon dioxide emissions by 20% by 2010. The Scottish response toclimate change therefore contains a mixture of reserved and devolved measures.Information on Scotland’s historic contribution is available in the publication GreenhouseGas Inventories for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland: 1990-2000,a copy of which has been placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bibnumber 29467) and is also available on the Executive’s climate change websiteat www.scotland.gov.uk/climatechange.

There is no definitiveestimate of Scottish peatland coverage but Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) hasproduced estimates for two of the three main types of peatland, namely blanketbog and raised bog.

Blanket Bog

SNH’s recently developedScottish blanket bog inventory estimates the total extent of blanket bog as1,927,000 ha. Some 55% of this is considered to be degraded to varying degreesas a result of past agricultural drainage, peat cutting, erosion etc.

Raised Bog

SNH have estimated thatthere are approximately 24,000 ha of raised bog at present, of which 14% isactively peat forming, 23% is degraded but capable of restoration and 63% is nolonger restorable.

Fens

Fens, the third habitat andthe lesser of the three types in terms of area, are the least known in terms ofdiversity, extent and condition. Scottish Natural Heritage has recently embarkedupon the development of a Fen Inventory to collate information held by itself,other agencies and voluntary organisations.

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.

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.

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.