Malcolm MacLeod, director of NHBC Scotland, says: "The third quarter of 2002 has shown an increase in Scotland's new house building starts when compared with the same period last year and a 24 per cent increase to date, on last year."

In Scotland the average anticipated selling price of new homes (started by NHBC registered builders) during the third quarter of 2002 was £128,000, a 29 per cent increase on Quarter three 2001 (£99,000). Based on actual selling price, the proportion of homes sold for over £100,000 was 57 per cent, an increase on the same period last year (42 per cent).

NHBC's first time buyers' ability to buy index decreased by two points during the quarter to 103 (quarter three 2002 was 105). The index is based on a formula which takes into account the average cost of homes bought by first time buyers, average income and mortgage interest rates (from the Nationwide Building Society). The higher the index, the greater the ability to buy.

UK-wide figures show a total of 41,289 applications to start new homes during the third quarter, showing almost no change on the same period in 2001 (41,175). Of that total, 37,545 relate to private sector activity (i.e. excluding housing associations), and show a one per cent decrease on 2001 (37,956). Housing association starts totalled 3,744 - an increase of 16 per cent on quarter three 2001 (3,219).

NHBC UK figures show there were 39,115 new build completions during the third quarter of 2002, showing a two per cent increase on the same quarter last year (38,503).

The figure for the average daily sales of new homes in the third quarter of 2002 is 576, an increase of eight per cent on the same period a year ago (534).

Q3 2002 regional figures

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