HOME ownership in Scotland has reached 55%, according to Scottish

Office figures published yesterday. The bulletin also showed that

applications to buy council houses by tenants are on the increase again.

The Housing Minister, Lord James Douglas-Hamilton, welcomed the new

levels of home ownership which he compared with the 36% figure in 1981.

A total of 21,100 sales of public sector houses to sitting tenants

were completed last year, nearly 3900 fewer than in 1992. However,

applications increased slightly to 29,400 over the previous year's

figure of 28,500. In addition, the highest level of private sector new

building was recorded in Scotland in 1993. Nearly 17,800 private sector

houses were estimated to have been completed compared to nearly 14,600

in 1992.

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