asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many, and which councils currently charge more than 11 per cent. interest on loans for house purchase and improvement; and how many do so.

40 district councils currently charge more than 11 per cent. interest on loans for house purchase and improvement:

• Badenoch and Strathspey.
• Caithness.
• Inverness.
• Lochaber.
• Ross and Cromarty.
• Skye and Lochalsh.
• Sutherland.
• Banff and Buchan.
• Gordon.
• Kincardine and Deeside.
• Moray.
• Angus.
• Perth and Kinross.
• Dunfermline.
• Kirkcaldy.
• East Lothian
• Midlothian
• West Lothian.
• Clackmannan.
• Falkirk.
• Stirling.
• Berwickshire.
• Roxburgh.
• Argyll and Bute.
• Bearsden and Milngavie.
• Clydebank.
• Cumbernauld and Kilsyth.
• Dumbarton.
• East Kilbride.
• Eastwood.
• Hamilton.
• Kyle and Carrick.
• Lanark.
• Monklands.
• Renfrew.
• Annandale and Eskdale.
• Wigtown.
• Nithsdale.
• Stewartry.
• Shetland Islands.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many and which councils' loan schemes are related to the council's consolidated loans fund.

14 authorities operate lending schemes whose interest rates are related to their consolidated loans funds:

• Aberdeen.
• Banff and Buchan.
• Dundee.
• Dunfermline.
• Edinburgh.
• Glasgow.
• Inverclyde.
• Inverness.
• Kirkcaldy.
• Lochaber.
• Motherwell.
• Orkney Islands.
• Perth and Kinross.
• Strathkelvin.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many and which councils are currently operating deferred payment or low start mortgage schemes as part of their home loan arrangements.

This information is not available without special inquiry of all district councils.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many and which councils had already entered into commitments to lend more than half the total amount advanced by them in 1974–75 for home loans, when Scottish Development Department Circular 85/1975 was issued.

The following 16 local authorities had entered into commitments to lend more than half the total amount advanced in 1974–75 when SDD Circular No. 85/1975 was issued:

• Caithness.
• Cumnock and Doon.
• Dundee City.
• Dunfermline.
• Edinburgh City.
• Glasgow City.
• Inverness.
• Kirkcaldy.
• Lochaber.
• Monklands.
• Motherwell.
• Orkney.
• Shetland Islands.
• Skye and Lochalsh.
• Stewartry.
• Western Isles.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the gross amount that each district and island council will be allowed to lend for house purchase in 1975–76, without taking into account any allocation from the building societies.

The amount which each district and island council has been authorised to lend for house purchase in 1975–76 is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many and which councils have informed the Scottish Development Department that they wish to participate in the special building society allocation of £7 million.

The following 45 district and island councils informed my Department that they wished to participate in the special building society scheme:

• Badenoch and Strathspey.
• Caithness.
• Inverness.
• Lochaber.
• Ross and Cromarty.
• Sutherland.
• Banff and Buchan.
• Gordon.
• Moray.
• Angus.
• Dundee City.
• Perth and Kinross.
• Dunfermline.
• Kirkcaldy.
• North East Fife.
• Edinburgh City.
• East Lothian.
• Midlothian.
• West Lothian.
• Clackmannan.
• Stirling.
• Berwickshire.
• Ettrick and Lauderdale.
• Roxburgh.
• Argyll and Bute.
• Strathkelvin.
• Cumbernauld and Kilsyth.
• Cunninghame.
• Dumbarton.
• East Kilbride.
• Eastwood.
• Glasgow City.
• Hamilton.
• Inverclyde.
• Kyle and Carrick.
• Lanark.
• Motherwell.
• Renfrew.
• Annandale and Eskdale.
• Wigtown.
• Nithsdale.
• Stewartry.
• Orkney.
• Shetland.
• Western Isles.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether the Scottish Development Department has decided on the block allocations of the £7 million which were to be given to groups of districts; what districts are in each group and what amount has been allocated to each group.

It has not been necessary to arrange with the Building Societies Association territorial allocations of the £7 million which is available under the special scheme to supplement local authority lending in 1975–76.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many applicants have been referred by councils to nominated building societies; which councils have referred applicants: under which category of Scottish Development Department Circular 112/1975 they fall; how many advances have been offered by building societies; and how many, respectively, have been declined by the applicant or refused by the societies.

The details requested are not readily available, but I understand that so far 124 applications in all have been referred to nominated building societies by the following local authorities:

• Banff and Buchan
• Cumbernauld and Kilsyth
• Edinburgh City
• Glasgow City
• Gordon
• Inverclyde
• Kirkcaldy
• Lochaber
• Midlothian
• Moray
• Motherwell
• North East Fife
• Orkney
• Shetland
• Stirling
• Strathkelvin
• West Lothian