Statistics on income and expenditure for local authority housing in Scotland have been released.

The figures, published by Scotland's Chief Statistician, show that the average council rent in 2008-09 is £50.51 per week, ranging from £39.40 in Moray to £64.44 in Edinburgh.

They also demonstrate that since 1997-98 council rents have risen in real terms by just one percentage point per year.

In terms of housing debt, councils predict a loss of around £18m in 2008-09 due to voids – 2.1% of standard rent income and about the same level as last year.

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Rent arrears represented 4.3% of standard rental income in March of this year, varying widely between councils from about 1.1 per cent of standard rental income in West Lothian to 9.5% in Aberdeen City.

Housing debt in Scotland is expected to increase by 5% from March 2008 to March 2009.

Across local authorities Shetland and Edinburgh have the highest debt at £26,857 per house and £14,517 respectively at March 2009.

Orkney remains debt free and Falkirk has the lowest debt per house of all other councils at £1,969 per house.

Local authorities’ housing capital expenditure is projected to total over £505m in 2008-09, an increase of £51.9m or 11.4% from the previous year.

(GK)