More than 4,000 new council homes have been built throughout Scotland since April 2009, newly-released figures have revealed.

Described as a "huge boost" to the economy, the Scottish Government Council House Build Programme has seen more than £135m invested to provide council housing for people in the country.

Welcoming the figures, First Minister Alex Salmond said: "Our funding for council house building has now provided more than 4,000 new homes across Scotland and demonstrates the scale and ambition of this programme – the first in Scotland in a generation.

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"Backed by £135m of Scottish Government funding, the programme has provided much needed new homes for people the length and breadth of Scotland. This transformation followed the period before this Government came to power, when just six council homes were built in four years to March 2007."

He added that despite of "considerable challenges" to the budget, the Government plans to spent more than £1.7bn to meet its target of 30,000 affordable homes during the lifetime of this Parliament, supporting around 8,000 jobs each year.

(JP/IT)