Chamber and committees

I have asked the Scottish Biodiversity Forum to report to me with a draft Biodiversity Strategy for Scotland at its next meeting in late February 2003.

The Scottish Executive welcomes the report by the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology. It builds on the findings of earlier reports on the environmental effects of air pollutants and provides a valuable update on the position in ScotlandEarlier studies in this area identified the adverse environmental impacts of air pollutants and the transboundary nature of these, leading to action, nationally and internationally, to reduce emissions of the relevant pollutants - sulphur and nitrogen compounds and ozone. Internationally, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe set up the Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution in 1979 to tackle air pollution on a broad international scale. Subsequently, a number of international protocols have been agreed to cut emissions, the most recent being the 1999 UNECE Gothenburg Protocol. These protocols have formed the basis for EU action in this area. The EC National Emission Ceilings Directive for example reflects and in places reduces the emission ceilings included in the Gothenburg Protocol for the four major pollutants causing acidification, eutrophication and ozone damage - these requiring to be achieved by 2010. National legislation such as the Prevention and Pollution Control Regulations will continue to be used to ensure that emissions in Scotland are reduced in line with international requirements. In addition, the Air Quality Strategy for Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland includes objectives for sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides specifically for the protection of vegetation and ecosystems.

Due to the low incidence of bovine tuberculosis in Scotland, all herds are subject to testing on a four yearly cycle.As at 30 June 2002, 1,652 tests were overdue.

The number of confirmed incidents of bovine tuberculosis in Scotland since the year 2000 is shown in the following table.

Local	2000				2001				2002
Authority	Jan to Mar	Apr to Jun	Jul to Sep	Oct to Dec	Jan to Mar	Apr to Jun	Jul to Sep	Oct to Dec	Jan to Mar	Apr to Jun	Jul to Sep	Oct to Dec
Aberdeenshire	1	1	1
Argyll and Bute										1
Clackmannanshire									1
Dumfries and Galloway									1	5	2
East Ayrshire		1					1
East Lothian					1					1
Highland										1
Renfrewshire										1

Two hundred and four cattle herds have been restocked since foot-and-mouth disease restrictions were lifted and 197 herds have been tested for bovine tuberculosis. Thirteen Reactors have been identified in three of these herds. A further five herds have had their testing delayed due to calving patterns but these will be tested in the autumn.

Cattle purchased for restocking must come from unrestricted herds which have a clean testing history. They are tested again three months after the new herd is established at the new location.

Our commitment to sustainable development, set out in Meeting the Needs...Priorities, Actions and Targets for Sustainable Development in Scotland, acknowledges that the pursuit of economic growth has to be done in such a way that it does not harm the environment or squander the natural resources on which we depend. A sensible approach to the use of natural resources such as oil and gas dictates that we use them efficiently whilst developing alternatives to replace them in due course.Our approach to the extraction of oil and gas needs to be viewed along with other policies, such as our commitment to increase significantly Scotland's renewable electricity generation to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels.

The Forum will be supported and funded by the Executive's Sustainable Development Team as part of their normal business.

No organisation has been directly invited to participate in the Sustainable Development Forum. Instead, advertisements were placed in the national press on 7 June and expressions of interest have been received from a wide range of sectors including civic society.

The agenda for the first meeting of the forum will include presentations on the Executive's strategy for sustainable development as set out in "Meeting the Needs...", on the "Do a Little, Change a Lot" campaign and on the World Summit on Sustainable Development. The Scottish members of the Sustainable Development Commission will give a presentation on their work. There will be an opportunity for group discussions and for participants to consider the future work of the forum.