asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is yet in a position to predict the level of public and private housing starts for 1977; and if he will compare such starts with each year since 1970.

Provisional figures for the first nine months of 1976 show that the houses started in the public and private sectors numbered 12,409 and 13,340 respectively. Figures for earlier years are published in the "Housing Return for Scotland", copies of which are available in the House of Commons Library. It is not yet possible to make a prediction for 1977.