asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what has been the total expenditure, at current prices, on school building in Scotland in each year since 1969; and what is the estimated corresponding expenditure, at current prices, for each of the next five years.

The information is as follows:

	£ million at 1975 Survey Prices
1969–70	59·3
1970–71	56·9
1971–72	53·7
1972–73	75·0
1973–74	82·2
1974–75	49·4
	(provisional)

The fluctuations in expenditure in the last three years mentioned were due in part to the additional public works programme announced in July 1971 and the moratorium on building starts in the latter part of 1973. As regards figures for 1975–76 onwards I must ask the hon. Member to await the White Paper on Public Expenditure which will be published in the near future.