asked the Minister for the Environment the percentage average increase in housing prices from July 1977 to the latest date for which figures are available.

In the 18-period from 1 July 1977 to 31 December 1978—the latest date for which figures are available—the percentage increases in the prices of houses for which loans were approved by the main lending agencies were 37.8 per cent for new houses and 31 per cent for previously occupied houses. While the houses concerned are not necessarily comparable, the average quarterly increase in new house prices in this period was 6.3 per cent compared with 6.6 per cent during the period April 1973 to June 1977.