"We welcome the level of ambition behind the Scottish Government's infrastructure and investment plan and the commitment to put capital investment at the heart of Scotland's economic recovery.

"An updated plan is something we've been calling for for some time, so today's announcement is very positive.

"The real acid test will be how many of these projects can be brought forward in the short term so we can begin putting shovels in the ground.

"The industry urgently needs a pipeline of new work to start rebuilding the jobs, skills and capacity we have lost over the past three years."

Commenting on the Scottish Government's capital spending plans announcement yesterday, Alan Ferguson, Director of CIH Scotland, said:

"The reference to the Scottish Government delivering the retrofitting of existing homes is puzzling, because in the social rented sector landlords are doing this themselves, without Government input."

"There doesn't seem to be anything new on housing in this announcement. We will have to hope for future announcements in relation to the Minister's statement in September that three large-scale, radical bids to the Housing Innovation and Investment Fund are still being considered."