§ Mr. WelshTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to implement the Nitrates Directive in respect of water bodies, rivers and their catchments which exceed the limit of 50mg/1 of dissolved nitrates; and if he will make a statement. [61699]
§ Mr. MacdonaldThis Directive is being implemented and we already monitor at all surface water and groundwater locations used for drinking water abstraction.
145WThe Scottish Environment Protection Agency is extending this monitoring network to be representative of all Scottish inland surface waters. This will be used to identify where there are exceedances of the 50 mg/1 concentration limit value for nitrate. From this information SEPA will undertake a further review to determine if revised or new Nitrate Vulnerable Zones should be designated.
Before an extended network can be identified for groundwater monitoring it will be necessary to carry out a preliminary study of existing abstraction. I am asking SEPA to set up a groundwater monitoring network by the end of 1999.