To ask the Scottish Executive how many new jobs will be created as a result of its announcement on 19 September 2000 that free central heating will be installed for all pensioners and social tenants across Scotland. (S1O-2342)

I am pleased to announce that, in the first year of the programme, 1,500 jobs will be created. That figure will rise to 2,200 in the third, fourth and fifth years. That announcement is good news not just good for all tenants and pensioners, but for heating engineers as well. Some of the more imaginative Labour authorities are already increasing their number of modern apprenticeships to allow young people to train as heating engineers.

I welcome the minister's announcement, particularly in relation to young people. How much money does the minister expect the average pensioner or social tenant to save in a year as a result of the installation of central heating?

The programme has three parts: energy advice; insulation; and the installation of the central heating itself. We expect that the implementation of the programme will save the average pensioner £500 every year and will reduce their heating bills from an average £20 a week to £10 a week every year from now on.

I remind members with any supplementaries that the question is about jobs.

My question follows from the minister's previous answer. Will the minister confirm that, if the link between pensions and average earnings had not been broken, a pensioner couple would now have an extra £2,500 and a single pensioner £1,800, which would be enough to install their central heating now, next year and the year after?

I am sorry. That is wide of the question.

Does the minister have an estimate of the number of jobs that would be created in Glasgow if the programme were carried out as part of council investment rather than through stock transfer? On several occasions, she has said that stock transfer will create 3,000 jobs. How many jobs would be created if, instead of stock transfer, there were public investment in Glasgow City Council stock?

The difference between Mr Tommy Sheridan and us is that he wants us to spend just an additional £50 million a year, which would create a very small number of jobs and allow us to rehabilitate only 3,000 houses a year. The proposals that we support will allow us to rehabilitate all 90,000 houses within 10 years.