§ Mr. McCrindleasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received concerning mortgage interest tax relief for joint unmarried borrowers; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Norman Lamont[pursuant to his reply, 4 December 1986]: A married couple are entitled to mortgage interest relief on up to £30,000 of the loan to buy their main home, but unmarried borrowers sharing a home can have relief on loans up to £30,000 each. This issue was discussed in the Green Paper on the "Reform of Personal Taxation" and a substantial number of the individuals and organisations who responded considered that steps should be taken to end the disparity of treatment. The Green Paper suggested that one possibility would be to apply mortgage interest relief to the residence so that two or more people borrowing to buy a house would share the £30,000 limit between them, whether they were married or unmarried.