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Written question asked by Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay (Liberal Democrat) on Tuesday, 22 October 2013, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 5 November 2013. It was answered by Lord Wallace of Saltaire (Liberal Democrat) on Tuesday, 29 October 2013 on behalf of the UK Statistics Authority. UK Statistics Authority was asked to reply.

Housing: Prices

Question

To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they expect 2013 figures for the ratio of median house prices to median earnings to be available for (1) the United Kingdom, (2) England, (3) Wales, (4) Scotland, and (5) Northern Ireland.[HL2831]

Answer

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.

Letter from Glen Watson, Director General for ONS, to Lord Oakeshott dated October 2013.

As Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary questions To ask Her Majesty’s Government what were the ratios of median house prices to median earnings in (1) 1997, (2) 2007, and (3) 2012, for (a) the United Kingdom, (b) England, (c) Wales, (d) Scotland, and (e) Northern Ireland, and for each local authority area for which those figures are available HL2830, and when they expect 2013 figures for the ratio of median house prices to median earnings to be available for (1) the United Kingdom, (2) England, (3) Wales, (4) Scotland, and (5) Northern Ireland. HL2831

Unfortunately, median house price data are not available from ONS at a local authority level and the earliest period for which estimates at a regional level are available is 2002. Table 1 below provides estimates for 2007 and 2012.

Information for 2013 will be available on Tuesday 18 February 2014, when ONS publishes the latest estimate of median house prices for quarter 4 of 2013.

Table 1: Ratio of median house prices to median earnings

1997 – 2012, UK and component countries

United Kingdom
 England
 Wales
Year
 Median Earnings1 (£)
 Median house price2(£)
 Ratio (house price to earnings)
 Median Earnings1 (£)
 Median house price2(£)
 Ratio (house price to earnings)
 Median Earnings1 (£)
 Median house price2(£)
 Ratio (house price to earnings)
19973
 -
 -
 -
 -
 -
 -
 -
 -
 -
2007
 20,000
 181,000
 9.1
 20,345
 186,000
 9.1
 17,676
 144,000
 8.1
2012
 21,473
 191,000
 8.9
 21,790
 199,000
 9.1
 19,126
 140,000
 7.3

Median earnings taken from table 7.7a of the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) and relate to the median gross annual earnings for all employee jobs2 Median house price taken from table 19 of the ONS monthly and quarterly House Price Index reference table and reflects the annual average of the quarterly, non-mix adjusted median house price3 Median house price data not available in 1997

Source: Office for National Statistics

Scotland
 Northern Ireland
Year
 Median Earnings1 (£)
 Median house price2(£)
 Ratio (house price to earnings)
 Median Earnings1 (£)
 Median house price2(£)
 Ratio (house price to earnings)
19973
 -
 -
 -
 -
 -
 -
2007
 19,312
 134,000
 6.9
 17,171
 207,000
 12.1
2012
 20,950
 154,000
 7.4
 18,703
 115,000
 6.1

Median earnings taken from table 7.7a of the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) and relate to the median gross annual earnings for all employee jobs2 Median house price taken from table 19 of the ONS monthly and quarterly House Price Index reference table and reflects the annual average of the quarterly, non-mix adjusted median house price3 Median house price data not available in 1997

Source: Office for National Statistics

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
HL2831; 748 cc234-6WA
Session
2013-14
Subjects
Housing Pay Prices
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk