First Time Buyers

Grant Shapps
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the number of first-time home buyers in each year since 1997.

Mr. Iain Wright
The numbers of first time buyers purchasing a home with a mortgage in the UK in each year since 1997 are presented as follows:

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|                                  |Number of first time buyers purchasing with a mortgage, UK|
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|1997                              |501,500                                                   |
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|1998                              |525,200                                                   |
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|1999                              |592,400                                                   |
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|2000                              |500,200                                                   |
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|2001                              |568,200                                                   |
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|2002                              |531,800                                                   |
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|2003                              |369,600                                                   |
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|2004                              |358,100                                                   |
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|2005                              |372,300                                                   |
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|2006                              |401,000                                                   |
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|2007                              |357,800                                                   |
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|2008                              |194,400                                                   |
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|Source:Council of Mortgage Lenders|                                                          |
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CML estimate that around one in five first time buyers are actually returning to owner-occupation after a break.

We are ensuring support is in place to help first-time buyers. We have:

Increased opportunities to buy a home through shared equity and shared ownership—our schemes are now open to anyone earning up to £60,000 who would not otherwise be able to afford to buy.

Now allocated £236 million to purchase nearly 6,000 unsold properties to be used as affordable and social housing.

Helped more than 110,000 households into home ownership since 1997 through our shared ownership and shared equity schemes.

Launched our £400 million HomeBuy Direct scheme, which will help up to 18,000 first time buyers across the country.