To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the total capital expenditure on local authority schools in Scotland in each year since 1978, in cash and constant prices.

The information is given in the table which has been compiled from local authority financial returns. The fall in expenditure in real terms during the period reflects a substantial and progressive decline in pupil numbers which has reduced the requirement for new school building.

Capital expenditure by local authorities on schools
£ million
Year	At outturn prices	At 1989–90 prices
1978–79	51·885	121·400
1979–80	47·598	95· 448
1980–81	52·391	88·783
1981–82	60·404	93·350
1982–83	52·378	75·577
1983–84	45·416	62·635
1984·85	45·945	60·302
1985–86	51·124	63·634
1986–87	46·672	56·172
1987–88	47·742	54·492
1988–89	59·392	63·178
1989–90	67·335	67·335

The figures include expenditure on nursery, primary, secondary and special schools.Outturn figures have been converted to 1989–90 prices using the GDP deflator.