What measures it is taking to reduce pollution from farms.

I am committed to a partnership approach to the protection and enhancement of Scotland's environment.We are working with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), the farming industry and other stakeholders to improve the guidance available to farmers on pollution prevention and to promote its adoption. A group drawn from SEPA, National Farmers Union Scotland (NFU Scotland), the Scottish Agricultural College (SAC) and the Executive is currently revising the Code of Good Practice on Prevention of Environmental Pollution From Agricultural Activity. The Executive has also collaborated with WWF Scotland, NFU Scotland, SAC, SEPA and Scottish Natural Heritage to establish a new advisory post at the college to advise on and publicise best practice on protection of the water environment. Other measures funded by the Executive include development of a CD-ROM planning tool on environmental management for agriculture and SAC on-going advisory work. We are also working to minimise the environmental impact of pesticides through voluntary measures in partnership with farmers, the agrochemical industry and the UK government.We are also sponsoring a research programme examining the impact, mechanisms and transport of agricultural diffuse pollution. Based on this research, the Scottish Executive issued an advice note on the prevention of agricultural diffuse pollution at bathing waters to farmers in at-risk catchments on 20 July 2001 (Bib. number 14970).Where appropriate we will regulate. SEPA already has statutory powers to require farmers to undertake work to bring facilities for the collection and storage of silage, slurry and fuel oil up to legally defined standards. Farmers are also required under the Groundwater Regulations 1998 to obtain authorisation from SEPA for disposing of sheep dip and other agricultural chemicals. To tackle the specific problem of nitrate pollution we are currently consulting with the farming industry and others on new Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZ). Further consultation on the mandatory Action Programmes for the proposed NVZs will follow shortly. We are also extending pollution controls to intensive farming (pigs and poultry). New installations are already subject to the Pollution Prevention and Control (Scotland) Regulations 2000 and existing farms will be brought into that regime in 2007. We also plan to bring non-natural agricultural waste into the controlled waste regime. It is planned that draft regulations on this matter will be issued for consultation later in 2002.Finally, we established an Agriculture and Environment Working Group in September 2001 to advise ministers on the means of achieving a more joined-up approach to agriculture and environmental policy. The group's final report is to be submitted in the spring.