asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has received the results of the monitoring, in the 1986 bathing season, of the quality of bathing water of the 20 Scottish beaches listed in the 14 February 1986 Official Report, columns 561–2; and if he will make a statement.

The results of the monitoring, in line with the regime set out in the EC bathing waters directive, have been submitted by the river purification boards and are being considered by the Scottish Development Department. The preliminary assessment is encouraging, but some adjustment to monitoring frequencies will be necessary for the 1987 bathing season. My right hon. and learned Friend expects to publish the results following the two-year monitoring programme which ends in September 1987.My right hon. and learned Friend has decided to identify 23 waters off Scotland as bathing waters in terms of the EC directive. These waters will be monitored each year to the regime set out in the directive, and the results will be conveyed through the Scottish Development Department to the European Commission. Those waters which fail to meet the directive's standards will require to be improved as necessary.The list of waters includes the 20 covered by the current two-year programme and three others: Montrose, Dunbar and Turnberry. The full list, which will be subject to review from time to time, is as follows: