Mortgage lending falls

The increase in total net lending to individuals in April (£9.4 billion) was lower than the increase in March and the previous six-month average, according to the Bank of England.

The twelve-month growth rate fell 0.1 percentage points to 10.4%. The three-month annualised growth rate fell by 0.4 percentage points to 9.7%.

Within the total, the increase in net lending secured on dwellings (£8.9 billion) was below the increase in March and the previous six-month average. The twelve-month growth rate fell 0.1 percentage points to 11.4%. The three-month annualised growth rate also fell, by 0.4 percentage points to 10.9%. The number of loans approved for house purchase (107,000), those for remortgaging (98,000) and those for other purposes (72,000) were all lower than in March.

The increase in net consumer credit in April (£0.5 billion) was lower than the increase in March. The rise in net credit card lending of £0.1 billion was also lower than in March. Net other loans and advances rose by £0.4 billion (lower than the increase of £0.5 billion in March). The annual growth rate of consumer credit continued to fall, by 0.3 percentage points to 5.4%, and the three-month annualised growth rate also fell by 0.3 percentage points to 4.1%.