The Scottish Government has announced extra cash for housing, job programmes and roads.

Finance Secretary John Swinney said the funds would "inject new support this financial year" into these areas.

The SNP administration has been considering how to spend £136.6m of additional money it will receive for 2011-12 as a consequence of Westminster spending decisions.

Ministers had allocated just over £100m of the cash, with Mr Swinney having now decided where the remaining £33m will be spent.

A total of £12.9m will go on housing, while £5m will go on employability programmes and £4.5m on roads.

A further £5m will be spend on bringing forward a number of projects in the health service, while £2.5m will go to pay for claims from councils in the wake of damage caused by recent storms.

There will also be £1.1m for cultural projects, £2m to support capital projects and £400,000 for Marine Scotland and National Parks.

Announcing the cash allocations, Mr Swinney said: "We will take every possible opportunity to support economic recovery, create growth and maximise the effect of every pound spent."

The additional funds will "inject new support this financial year into housing, transport and employment programmes, helping get people into work, create new jobs, and meeting our ambitions for Scotland".

The Finance Secretary said his Budget for 2012-13 "maintains that clear focus on investing in growth".

Affordable homes

Meanwhile Housing Minister Keith Brown welcomed the additional cash for housing, with £10m to be invested in affordable homes, along with £2m for housing adaptations and £900,000 for housing and regeneration programmes.

Mr Brown said: "The supply of new affordable housing remains a high priority for the Scottish Government. This is a challenging economic time for Scotland's housebuilding industry, so an additional £10m will support jobs in the sector whilst also stimulating the wider economy."

Mr Brown said the funding "reinforces our commitment to deliver 30,000 affordable homes during this Parliament, of which at least two-thirds will be for social rent".

The Government is also changing the way it distributes cash to councils and housing associations. Funding for these will be brought together, with local authorities able to allocate money for the next three years.

Under the changes the Scottish Government will inform councils how much cash it is making available for affordable housing in each area up until March 2015.

Councils, together with local housing associations, will then decide what projects should go ahead, with ministers handing over subsidies for these when developments are completed.

Mr Brown said: "I have listened and accepted (that) changes are required in the way taxpayers' money is distributed to enable local authorities and housing associations to plan ahead more efficiently.

"These changes chime with the Scottish Government's wider agenda of driving forward public service reform, removing duplication and improving efficiency."

'Continually moaning'

Scottish Conservative Finance Spokesman, Gavin Brown MSP said: "While a welcome boost to the construction industry, this £10m is a mere fraction of the £100m slashed from next year's housing budget.

"I'm calling on Keith Brown to join the Scottish Conservatives in trying to reverse this cut in order to help with jobs and the economy.

"The Scottish Government has to get serious about making affordable housing a priority because so far they have failed miserably.

"It's high time they used the powers they have to come up with a budget that helps the Scottish economy rather than continually moaning about the powers they do not have."

Elaine Murray, Scottish Labour housing spokeswoman, said: "By restoring just a fraction of the housing budget, this is the equivalent of taking £20 from someone, handing them back a couple of pounds and then asking them to be grateful.

"The deep cuts to the housing budget represent a real missed opportunity to stimulate the economy, create jobs and tackle fuel poverty."