and you are looking in for every week and month that goes by, the dream of homeownership recedes further into the distance. the average age of first time buyers has been rising continuously. the proportion of young people who can afford to buy their own home has been falling. between 2005 2016, the proportion of 2534 year olds that owned their own home fell by 20%, whereas in most other countries, it has been rising. it is true that we still have higher rates of overall homeownership just ahead of france and just ahead of germany. and it is true that we are building more as fast as we can after a sustained decline in home ownership rates in the labour government, which is now starting to go back up thanks to our support forfirst time starting to go back up thanks to our support for first time buyers and also building more homes. last year, there were 400,001st time buyers of property which was a 20 year high. 400,000 property which was a 20 year high. 400,000 first time
it. inaudible. when - it. inaudible. when it - it. inaudible.j when it comes it. inaudible. i when it comes to it. inaudible. - when it comes to fiscal it. inaudible. when it comes to fiscal measures, it- inaudible- when it comes to fiscal measures, as you can imagine, this is the province of my right honourable friend the chancellor, and i m not going to anticipate what he may or may not do, but i will tell you we are going to continue to do everything in our power to look after the british people throughout this pandemic, and throughout the after shocks of the pandemic, just as we did during covid, and i said that many, many times. i think people know that to be right. geraldine scott, the times. thank ou, geraldine scott, the times. thank you. prime geraldine scott, the times. thank you, prime minister. geraldine scott, the times. thank you, prime minister. you - geraldine scott, the times. thank you, prime minister. you have - geraldine scott, the times. thank you, prime mi