CML: August Bank of England mortgage data

Commenting on the Bank of England mortgage lending statistics, Council of Mortgage Lenders director general Michael Coogan said: "Gross mortgage lending, but more particularly net mortgage lending, fell sharply in August, according to the Bank of England. It is quite possible that we could see an overall shrinkage in the size of the mortgage market in the short term.

"The general downturn in lending will not have been helped by the speculation earlier in the year about stamp duty, which may have affected these figures.

"Against this backdrop, lenders deserve recognition for attempting to maintain a flow of mortgages into the market despite pricing volatility, scarcity of funding, and falling house prices.

"We welcome the Government's attempts to foster greater certainty in the current uncertain market, and we await with interest news of the Crosby recommendations on what measures may be planned to improve the mortgage funding market."