To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland on what basis the sites of (a) the Princess Margaret Rose Hospital, (b) the City Hospital and (c) the Dental Hospital, Edinburgh were valued prior to disposal; and what assumptions his Department made about their future development. [77855]

The sites at the Princess Margaret Rose Hospital, the City Hospital and the Dental Hospital, Edinburgh were valued both by the District Valuer and the property adviser to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh NHS Trust prior to disposal on the basis that the sites would be used for residential purposes.From 1 July 1999, this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.