§ Mr. David NicholsonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what were the total numbers of(a) private home purchases and (b) purchases by first-time buyers, in each of the years 1976 to 1987, and what was the proportion represented by (b) of (a).
§ Mr. TrippierThe available information is as follows:
342W
Mortgage loans for house purhase: United Kingdom All1 of which, to first time purchasers thousands thousands percentage of all 1976 739 373 50 1977 760 374 49 1978 829 404 49 1979 750 358 48 1980 691 332 48 1981 736 364 50 1982 861 468 54 1983 1,107 555 50 1984 1,187 596 50 1985 1,227 605 49 1986 1,446 666 46 1987 1,298 588 45 1 Mortgage completions by building societies; from 1976 to 1980 by local authorities (excluding council house sales) in England and Wales; and from 1983 to 1987 mortgage approvals by banks. The numbers of loans to first-time purchasers is not reported by insurance companies or, from 1981, by local authorities. The annual average number of loans for house purchase by insurance companies in 1976 to 1987 was 20,000. The numbers of loans by local authorities in Great Britain are as follows, including those for council house sales in England almost all of which are to sitting tenants.
All For council house sales 1981 73,000 70,000 1982 111,000 83,000 1983 47,000 40,000 1984 36,000 31,000 1985 23,000 20,000 1986 12,000 10,000 1987 10,000 8,000