asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what action he proposes to take in the light of the findings contained in the Report "Census Indicators of Urban Deprivation", a copy of which is available to him, that 115 out of the worst 121 areas of urban deprivation are in Scotland.

This report confirms statistically the severity of problems of which I was already well aware and had taken steps to tackle. I have laid before Parliament proposals for a Scottish Development Agency. I have also set up within the Scottish Office an Urban Renewal Unit to advise me on these problems, to encourage a corporate approach by local authorities to the problems of deprived areas and to ensure a co-ordinated response by Government to their proposals.