§ Mr. WelshTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the total amount of local authority housing debt in Scotland; and what would be the cost of redeeming that debt at the present day. [60798]
§ Mr. MacdonaldAt 1 April 1998, local authority housing debt was estimated at £3.9 billion. An estimate of the cost of redeeming the debt could be made only at disproportionate cost, since it would require detailed discussions with all authorities about their debt portfolios.