Key Statistics: 3 June 2014

Construction

• 34,239 houses were registered with the National House-Building Council in the three months to April 2014, a 3% increase compared to a year earlier.

• UK Banks’ lending to businesses under the Funding for Lending Scheme fell in the first quarter of 2014, according to Bank of England Statistics. Net lending fell by 2.7bn, with net lending to small and medium sized (SME) businesses contracting by £723m. A separate survey, the Q1 2014 SME Finance Monitor, suggests that SMEs are still wary of borrowing. 82% of respondents were happy to not take on extra borrowing over the next year. 69% of businesses reported being profitable over the previous 12 months, up from 64% a year earlier, and 45% of businesses were planning to grow over the next 12 months.
• British consumer confidence in May hit its highest level since April 2005, according to Polling company GfK. A similar survey by YouGov/CEBR, found consumer confidence at its highest level since July 2007.