Over £470 million is to be invested to help deliver 50,000 'affordable' homes across Scotland.

Announcing the 2017/18 Draft Budget, Finance Secretary Derek Mackay said the programme will "provide support for the economy, for jobs and for household incomes".

As well as making major investments in housebuilding, other infrastructure initiatives include:

• Completing the Queensferry Crossing

• Over £140m for Energy Efficiency programmes to help us deliver climate change targets

• Over £100m investment in digital and mobile infrastructure, to improve digital connectivity, grow Scotland's digital economy and increase digital participation, as well as supporting a commitment towards 100% broadband access by 2021.

In addition, £60m will invested in the workforce and infrastructure necessary to expand the provision of free early learning and childcare entitlement to 1,140 hours by the end of Parliament.

Other highlights include £304m for the NHS, £120m for Schools, supporting jobs by extending the number of business premises that pay no business rates and over £240m to support local government services.

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Speaking on Thursday, 15 December, Mr Mackay said: "Today I have published a Budget for growth and public services; for our environment and our communities. It delivers increased investment in education, record investment in the NHS, protects low income households from tax hikes and supports more and better jobs.

"This Budget provides support for the economy, for jobs and for household incomes, through a fair and balanced set of tax and spending proposals."

Gordon Nelson, Director of the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) in Scotland, welcomed the Government's commitment of £140m towards energy efficiency.

He said: "The Scottish Government is right to recognise the importance of investing in our existing housing stock.

"Scottish homes are amongst the oldest and least energy-efficient in Europe. The latest figures show that 748,000 Scottish households are fuel poor, and over a quarter of our country’s CO2 emissions come from residential buildings. This underlines how important it is to bring our existing homes up to scratch."

However, Homes for Scotland Chief Executive Nicola Barclay said there was little in the Draft Budget to unlock barriers to housing development.

"Whilst there is generous capital spend on the delivery of affordable homes, which is welcomed, our members tell us that it is harder than ever to commence new sites and get much needed homes of all tenures out of the ground," she said.

"In particular, we are disappointed that none of the £800m of capital budget consequentials from the Autumn Statement will be used to unlock development in Scotland, especially in relation to the provision of education infrastructure which is now one of the biggest blockers to housing delivery."

(LM/CD)