Minister discusses affordable housing needs

He met council housing leader Stuart Currie at the site in Musselburgh.

The flats are due to be demolished and replaced with new council housing, as part of a plan to build 1,000 new homes in the county.

The visit coincided with the publication of the new Housing Bill in the Scottish Parliament to increase the supply of homes.

There are around 5,000 families waiting for a council home in East Lothian, but the number of properties is only 8,400. The council is spending 100 million on building new homes over the next five years.

Mr Neil said: "The Scottish Government is investing a record 1.5 billion in affordable housing, including a new generation of council housing. These far- reaching reforms will safeguard that investment for future generations. The modernisation of regulation will put the interests of tenants and homeless people at the heart of housing regulation."

Cllr Currie added: "Our council build programme is well under way, with six sites due for completion in 2010, but keeping up with demand is a challenge."