§ Mr. SoleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what is the estimate of the number of empty residential properties in the private sector; and what is the estimate of the percentage this represents of the total number of residential properties in the private sector.
§ Lord James Douglas-Hamilton[holding answer 28 February 1991]: Information is not collected on the private sector alone. It is estimated that at 30 June 1990, some 99,000 dwellings in Scotland were vacant: this represented 4.7 per cent. of the total housing stock. In addition, it is estimated that there are about 29,000 second or holiday homes; a total of some 127,500 houses may be vacant all or part of the time.