The British government, aiming to revive a slumping housing market, on Tuesday announces it will temporarily suspend a tax on certain residential property sales and introduce other measures designed to aid firsttime home buyers and homeowners in danger of ...

The housing market suffered another month of extreme weakness, according to Halifax, the mortgage lender, which estimated prices in August were 10.9 per cent lower than a year earlier, in data suggesting that the current turmoil is significantly worse than that of the early 1990s

The lukewarm response to the measures to stimulate the housing market must have caused even the usually relentlessly perky Hazel Blears, the Communities Secretary, to sigh a little.

The lukewarm response to the measures to stimulate the housing market must have caused even the usually relentlessly perky Hazel Blears, the Communities Secretary, to sigh a little.

Gordon Brown attempted to revive the flagging housing market - and his own political fortunes - yesterday with a £1.6 billion rescue package that included a surprise suspension of stamp duty, but experts said the move was merely “sticking plaster” and some even thought it could make things worse.

Gordon Brown attempted to revive the flagging housing market - and his own political fortunes - yesterday with a £1.6 billion rescue package that included a surprise suspension of stamp duty, but experts said the move was merely “sticking plaster” and some even thought it could make things worse.