To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate her Department has made of the number of failed home sales in England and Wales in each of the last eight quarters. (232759)

The latest estimate of the level of failed property transactions was made as part of the 2006 HIPs baseline research published in January 2007. This research estimated that 23 per cent. of buyers with completed transactions had previously had a failed transaction during their current house-buying experience.

The report is available at:

http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/housing/hipbaselineresearch