asked the Secretary of State for the Envronment if any contracts have been placed for constructional work or equipment at the former Royal high school buildings in Edinburgh since May 1979; and if he will list these contracts and the reason why the contracts were placed before an occupant was found for the premises.

Contracts for the following have been placed

• Minor building work
• Minor electrical work
• Roadsworks
• Landscaping and Planting
• Fencing and Gates
• Security works.

The work has been the minimum necessary to make the buildings available for any use, to tidy up the envronment of the buildings and to protect them.