asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement about the timetable for the construction of the new Borders district general hospital at Huntlyburn; and how this compares with previous plans concerning this replacement for Peel hospital.

The Borders health board now expects to submit a final cost limit to my Department in January 1981. If all goes to plan, a contract for the scheme might then be let by December 1982 with work on site commencing shortly thereafter. This represents a delay of some 12 months to the board's earlier timetable as a result of the need for the board to re-examine the project last year in order to contain it within cost limits.