asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what financial help he is giving to local housing authorities to meet expenditure incurred by them in the discharge of their responsibilities under the Housing (Homeless Persons) Act 1977.

The main expenditure that will fall on housing authorities will relate to the provision of housing accommodation and that will attract subsidy in the usual way. I have agreed with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities that the sum of £300,000, being the best estimate that can be made of the cost in 1978–79 of certain management functions which have been transferred from social work to housing authorities, should be treated for subsidy purposes as housing expenditure rather than expenditure on social work.