§ Mr. WigleyTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the latest figures for the number of mortgage payers in arrears on their payments of(a) six months and (b) 12 months; and what are the comparable figures for 1987, 1988 and 1989.
§ Mr. RyderThe latest figures available are for the second half of 1989. They cover building societies and Abbey National plc. At the end of 1989 there were 58,380 mortgages six to 12 months in arrears and 12,100 were 12 months or more in arrear. The equivalent figures for the end of 1988 were 37,200 and 8,930 respectively and for the end of 1987, 48,220 and 13,000 respectively.