§ Mr. Bill WalkerTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will designate more waters under the EC directive for protection or improvement of freshwaters to support fish life.
§ Mr. LangYes. I have today made arrangements for over 2,300 km of Scottish waters to be added to those already designated for protection or improvement under directive 78/659/EEC. The waters concerned have all been designated as salmonid.
The designations, based on submissions from the river purification boards—RPBs—bring the total length designated in Scotland to 36,577 km. More than three quarters of the total length of all Scottish rivers are now covered, almost 98 per cent of which conform o the directive's provisions. I should like to pay tribute to the RPBs, local authorities and industry for their contribution towards maintaining and improving the quality of these waters.