2,000 jobs are to be created across Scotland in 2013-14 after a £205m package of construction and maintenance projects has been given the go-ahead.

Finance Secretary John Swinney announced the plans, which will include:

- £50m for housing,

- £22m each for transport and regeneration projects,

- £19m for further and higher education,

- £11m for economic development projects,

- £10m for health maintenance,

- £10m for the maintenance of the justice system estate

- over £7m for forestry, national parks and tourism

- and almost £7m for culture and heritage projects

Local Government will receive over £46m for capital projects that are ready to go.

The announcement follows Mr Swinney’s call last month for the UK Government to provide an immediate targeted boost to capital investmen in Scotland.

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Mr Swinney said: "I welcome the fact that, after four years, the UK Government has now listened and made £394m additional capital available up to 2014-15, reducing the cut to Scotland capital budget to 26 per cent.

"This is partly undermined, however, by a reduction in our resource budget, giving us a net gain of £330m in total."

He added: "Just two weeks after the Chancellor’s Autumn statement I can now confirm a programme of shovel ready projects we will take forward with immediate effect. The range of projects for this year and next will see jobs created across Scotland, provide an immediate boost to Scotland’s construction sector giving a firmer basis to the so far fragile recovery and strengthen the foundations for our economy over the long term.

"That two year delay in funding from the UK Government highlights once again the limitations of the current constitutional arrangements, in particular our inability to borrow. In the absence of full economic and fiscal powers the Scottish Government will continue to act quickly in Scotland’s interests with all the resources and powers available to. With the full range of powers and resources of independence we could do much more."

(IT)