§ Mr. WorthingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will list, in(a) real and (b) constant prices the resources available to Scottish Homes for construction work in each year since 1990 projected forward to 1997–98; [37445]
(2) what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the resources of Scottish Homes to fund the preparation of plans by (a) housing associations and (b) co-operatives for construction works to commence at the start of 1997–98; and if he will make a statement on trends in the level of support for such projects over the last three years; [37444]
(3) which Scottish Homes construction projects for 1996–97 have been (a) deferred and (b) cancelled becauseof resource constraints; what was their value; and what was the nature of the constraints. [37446]
§ Mr. Raymond S. RobertsonScottish Homes development programme represents the total available each year for investment in projects undertaken by housing associations and co-operatives, private developers and others. The annual development programme in the period to 1996–97 and the amount estimated by Scottish Homes for 1997–98, based on its currently planned resources, are given in the table at cash and constant, or real, 1996–97 prices.
£ million Cash prices Constant 1996–97 prices 1990–91 203.0 248.4 1991–92 235.0 270.9 1992–93 282.6 312.9 1993–94 306.6 329.7 1994–95 319.5 337.4 1995–96 320.6 329.3 1996–97 280.0 280.0 1997–98 (estimated) 260.0 253.7 Within the total level of resources available to it, Scottish Homes continually makes decisions on priorities to be given to individual projects. As a result, if more funding assistance is sought than can be accommodated within the overall programme, certain projects may be deferred. However, such decisions are a matter for Scottish Homes.
Scottish Homes supplements its grant-in-aid from receipts and other sources. I am satisfied that, given the 481W overall need to restrain public expenditure in order to ensure the maintenance of economic growth, Scottish Homes has sufficient resources at its disposal to support substantial investment work in 1997–98. These resources will also lever in significant sums of private finance for housing development.