§ Mr. Gareth WardellTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish in theOfficial Report (a) the total expenditure on development of the Scottish Development Agency property sites since its establishment, (b) what was the annual income claimed from those sites and (c) what is the current total value of these sites; and if he will make a statement outlining the future plans for these sites with regard to ownership and management post-reorganisation of the Scottish Development Agency functions.
§ Mr. LangTotal expenditure on the development of the Scottish Development Agency's property sites since its establishment in 1975 is £462 million. Annual income in 1987–88 from the agency's property operation was £18.8 million. This figure excludes income from the sale of assets. The total value of the agency's property portfolio in 1987–88 was £158.685 million. The expenditure, income and value figures set out above do not relate to a constant set of physical assets, as the agency acquires and disposes of property in line with its statutory functions.
The agency is currently discussing with my Department proposals for the disposal of a significant proportion of its assets but no decisions have yet been made. The Government's White Paper "Scottish Enterprise" contains proposals for the exercise of the agency's property functions once Scottish Enterprise is set up. Consultations on the proposals are still under way.