Spotlight on UK house price rises

Chancellor George Osborne has asked the Bank of England to take a bigger role in ensuring his Help to Buy housing scheme does not fuel a property boom.

The Bank's Financial Policy Committee (FPC) will make annual reviews of the scheme, starting next September.

Meanwhile, the gap between house prices in northern and southern England has moved above £100,000 for the first time, according to the Nationwide.

Simon Gompertz reports.