§ Mr. William Rossasked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has any evidence that salmon are adapting successfully to waters where the pH value has been lowered as a result of acid rain; and what information he has as to the waters in Scotland where the populations of such fish are known to have been affected by the increasing acidity of the water.
§ Mr. John MacKayThere is no evidence of the degree of acidity in any of the major rivers in Scotland having reached a level where the salmon population would be likely to be affected. Scientists from my Department are continuing their investigations into the effect of acidification on Scottish freshwater systems.