HC Deb 27 June 1995 vol 262 c550W
Mr. Barry Field

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what studies his Department has carried out on the effect on retail sales of(a) an upturn, (b) a standstill and (c) a fall in the housing market. [30417]

Mr. Nelson

Treasury officials frequently review evidence on the relationship between consumer spending and real house prices. Most studies show a positive association, not least because factors such as actual and expected income and interest rates tend to drive both in the same direction.