§ Mr. Strangasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make available the review of his Department's arrangements for dealing with environmental topics in Scotland; if he will outline the specific remits and areas of interest of the newly-established rural, environment and countryside division and of the environmental protection unit; and what are the annual budgets and numbers of staff at the disposal of each.
§ Mr. AncramThe organisational arrangements within the Scottish Development Department for discharging its responsibilities relating to the environment are kept under continuous review to ensure that appropriate action can be taken to meet current needs.
The main responsibilities of the rural environment and nature conservation division of the Department are to carry forward the Government's policies in relation to environmental conservation in the countryside; to discharge the Secretary of State's sponsorship responsibilities for the Countryside Commission for Scotland; 386W and to liaise with the Nature Conservancy Council and the Forestry Commission on countryside and conservation issues. It has a budget of £380,000 in 1986–87 and a staff of 15.
The main responsibilities of the environmental protection division are to deal with policy and legislation on the maintenance and improvement of the aquatic, aerial and land enforcement, and on the supply of water and sewerage services. It has a budget of about £300,000 in 1986–87 and a staff of 14. In addition, the civil engineering and water services unit and Her Majesty's industrial pollution inspectorate provide technical advice and services on environmental matters and supply the staff for the hazardous waste inspectorate in Scotland. The number of staff directly involved in the provision of these services is 10, with a budget of approximately £305,000 in 1986–87.