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I have asked Mr Bob Millar, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. His response is as follows:Scottish Homes and Communities Scotland's investment in urban and rural areas in the period 1996-97 to 2003-04, in 2000-01 real terms is as follows:

Scottish Homes Development Programme - Urban & Rural Capital Expenditure (1996-97 to 2002-03)
		Rural		Urban
Year		£ million		£ million
1996-97		61.5		262.6
1997-98		43.4		171.7
1998-99		37.9		162.3
1999-2000		42.7		162.4
2000-01		44.4		163.0
2001-021		48.3		146.9
2002-03		tbc		tbc
2003-04		tbc		tbc

Note:1. Estimate.

I have asked Mr Bob Millar, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. His response is as follows:The Glasgow and North Clyde Regional programme is developed in close consultation with partners and reflects a broad range of existing partnership arrangements. Programmes are based upon local housing market and needs analysis to identify, consistent with strategy, the demands, needs and opportunities for housing investment and to ensure the continued provision of high quality housing.

I have asked Mr Bob Millar, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. His response is as follows:This reflects increased ministerial priority for the provision of affordable rented housing and the temporary suspension of the Grants for Rent or Owner Occupation programme. There will be around 500 fewer units for owner occupation approved in 2001-02 than in 2000-01, with the expenditure released being redirected to the rented programme.

The employment of teachers is a matter for local authorities. We have had no discussions with Glasgow City Council on this issue.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-20386 on 29 November 2001.

The Scottish Executive has published a booklet, Your right to buy your home, which all prospective homeowners considering the right to buy option are encouraged to read. This contains a section on the additional costs of buying your home, including advice on the repair, maintenance and associated responsibilities attached to buying a property. This booklet is available from landlords, local citizens' advice centres and the Scottish Executive.The Scottish Executive has also recently published two further booklets which are specifically aimed at prospective house purchasers including those who currently rent from a registered social landlord or local authority:Thinking about buying attempts to answer many of the questions potential homebuyers are confronted with, including advice on the responsibilities which come with ownership.We are all responsible provides relevant advice to homeowners who share repair and maintenance responsibilities with their neighbours. Both booklets have been sent to local authorities, issued to a variety of interested organisations (with further copies available from the Scottish Executive) and have been placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre.

Information on individual projects is commercially confidential. However, the estimated average pre-tax Project Internal Rate of Return for those projects for which full financial information is held by the Scottish Executive is 7.01% (real) and 9.61% (nominal).

The work of the Housing Improvement Task Force is in two stages. The first stage is now nearing completion and I expect the task force to publish the "issues" report for wider consultation in early 2002. The second stage of the work will be carried on throughout 2002 with the aim of agreeing a final report with conclusions and recommendations in 2003.

The information requested is not held centrally.

In Scotland, New Deal for Lone Parents has helped almost 13,300 lone parents to find work by September 2001.The Scottish Executive launched in July a new £24 million package of initiatives which aims to encourage lone parents into Scotland's universities and colleges by making it easier for them to meet the childcare costs that prevent many from taking that vital first step to jobs and better incomes. An estimated 6,500 students could benefit from this overall package of support.Also one of the key aims of the Scottish Executive's Childcare Strategy, which includes funding for local authorities of almost £50 million between 2001-02 and 2003-04, is to ensure that affordable, accessible, good quality childcare is available to all parents, including single parents, to enable them to take up employment and training opportunities.