The nine government agencies which regulate and promote rural Scotland were yesterday told they must work together, as the new SNP administration put on hold its plans to merge the biggest two rural quangos.

Michael Russell, the Deputy Environment Minister, met with chairs of nine quangos and government agencies in Granton-on-Spey, and set them a target of becoming a single rural and environmental service within a year.

That puts off the SNP's plans to create a single environment agency out of Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa), after warnings from the opposition that it could face problems at Holyrood in getting approval for such a change. That plan has not been abandoned, however.

Mr Russell told SNH and Sepa that they should continue a programme that has been running for 18 months to work more closely together. He drew into that the Forestry Commission Scotland, Forest Enterprise, Cairngorm National Park Authority, Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority, the Deer Commission Scotland, the Crofters Commission, Scottish Executive Rural Payments & Inspections Directorate, and the Animal Health Agency.

There is an expectation that local councils will also become involved in the process.

The intention is to improve regulation by the main bodies that impact on farmers, estate owners and others who work the countryside, some of whom complain of too much duplication. The new administration at Holyrood intends these agencies across rural Scotland to share more offices so that they co-ordinate their links to rural businesses.

Mr Russell said he wants a simpler, more efficient service, operating as a single body, with a lighter touch, less red tape and a stronger focus on green issues. He wants all this without any change in legislation, with plans to be drawn up within three months and the new system operating by summer next year.

Speaking after the Speyside meeting he said: "We are all committed to improving the delivery of public services and to reduce the burden of regulation on business, including the land management sector.

"The new Scottish government is determined to ensure that lighter touch environmental governance benefits everyone who comes into contact with the rural and environmental agencies. We need to end duplication and working in isolation.

"That is particularly true at the farm gate where farmers routinely face inspections from multiple organisations.

He went on: "Bodies like SNH and Sepa and both national parks do an excellent job. As I have seen over the last few weeks, so do their hard-working staff. Significant progress has already been made, but much more can and needs to be done to deliver more efficient and effective environmental governance in Scotland."

Ross Finnie, the LibDem MSP who was Rural Development Minister for eight years, yesterday said there could be less duplication, but it would be a mistake to force together agencies that have different purposes.

"SNH looks at flora, fauna and biodiversity and that's in stark contrast to the regulatory regime of Sepa in talking about air and water pollution and soil contamination," he said. " They were established because there was a need to give due care and attention to protecting the environment. There's no evidence to suggest that that need no longer exists."