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The transaction data shows HM Land Registry completed 1,774,223 applications in November compared with 1,740,068 in October and 1,644,163 last November, of which:

• 411,092 were applications to update existing titles compared with 408,685 in October
• 834,546 were applications to obtain an official copy of a register compared with 823,267 in October
• 238,129 were official searches compared with 226,488 in October
• 30,948 were postal applications from non-account holders, compared with 26,260 in October

Applications by region and country

Region and country	September applications	October applications	November applications
South East	372,168	407,148	408,756
Greater London	298,966	329,865	339,086
North West	176,591	195,045	200,475
South West	155,495	168,802	173,351
West Midlands	135,283	145,121	152,816
Yorkshire and the Humber	122,127	135,347	135,373
East Midlands	111,411	120,689	125,846
Wales	76,292	80,938	82,646
North	72,506	82,710	81,197
East Anglia	66,034	74,202	74,499
Isles of Scilly	47	106	92
England and Wales (not assigned)	67	95	86
Total	1,586,987	1,740,068	1,774,223

Top 5 local authority areas

Top 5 local authority areas	September applications	Top 5 local authority areas	October applications	Top 5 local authority areas	November applications
Birmingham	23,631	Birmingham	26,232	Birmingham	27,715
City of Westminster	20,892	City of Westminster	24,087	City of Westminster	23,565
Leeds	18,076	Leeds	19,895	Leeds	20,137
Cornwall	16,809	Manchester	17,810	Cornwall	18,823
Manchester	16,290	Cornwall	17,794	Manchester	18,542

Top 5 customers

Top 5 customers	September applications	Top 5 customers	October applications	Top 5 customers	November applications
Enact	39,349	Enact	48,058	Enact	49,360
O’Neill Patient	24,273	O’Neill Patient	24,610	Optima Legal Services	25,532
Optima Legal Services	20,688	Optima Legal Services	23,721	O’Neill Patient	24,260
Eversheds LLP	18,307	HBOS Bank PLC	20,980	TM Group (UK) Ltd (Search choice)	19,701
Barclays Bank PLC	16,491	Eversheds LLP	19,123	HBOS PLC Bank	19,315

Access the full dataset on data.gov.uk.

Notes to editors

1. Transaction Data is published on the 15th working day of each month. The December Transaction Data will be published at 11am on Monday 22 January 2018 at HM Land Registry Monthly Property Transaction Data.
2. The monthly Transaction Data showing how many applications for new titles, leases, splitting titles, updating existing titles, official copies of the register and searches were completed, reflects the volume of applications lodged by customers using an HM Land Registry account number on their application form.
3. Completed applications in England and Wales shown by region and by local authority include postal applications as well as those sent electronically.
4. Transaction Data excludes pending applications, withdrawn applications, bankruptcy applications, bulk applications and discharge applications.
5. Transactions for value are applications lodged involving a transfer of ownership for value. Discharge applications remove a charge, for example a mortgage, from the register. For an explanation of other terms used, see abbreviations used in the transaction data.
6. Most searches carried out by a solicitor or conveyancer are to protect the purchase and/or mortgage. For example, a search will give the buyer priority for an application to HM Land Registry to register the purchase of the property. This can give an indication of market activity.
7. Reasonable skill and care is used in the provision of the data. We strive to ensure that the data is as accurate as possible but cannot guarantee that it is free from error. We cannot guarantee our data is fit for your intended purpose or use.
8. Transaction Data is available free of charge for use and re-use under the Open Government Licence (OGL). The licence allows public bodies to make their data available for re-use.
9. If you use or publish the Transaction Data, you must add the following attribution statement:
   Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2017. This data is licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
10. HM Land Registry’s mission is to guarantee and protect property rights in England and Wales.
11. HM Land Registry is a government department created in 1862. It operates as an executive agency and a trading fund and its running costs are covered by the fees paid by the users of its services. Its ambition is to become the world’s leading land registry for speed, simplicity and an open approach to data.
12. HM Land Registry safeguards land and property ownership worth more than £4 trillion, including more than £1 trillion of mortgages. The Land Register contains more than 25 million titles, which show evidence of ownership, covering more than 84% of the land mass.
13. For further information about HM Land Registry visit www.gov.uk/land-registry
14. Follow us on:

• Twitter @HMLandRegistry
• our blog
• LinkedIn
• Facebook

This is part of the government’s commitment to small businesses. Initial mentoring can last for up to 12 weeks and includes workshops on topics including financial planning and marketing support, as well as help in creating a business development and growth plan. If the plan is viable, people can receive a further year of support and mentoring.

This programme of support for people who are already self-employed builds on the success of the New Enterprise Allowance (NEA) programme. The NEA offers mentoring, a weekly allowance for 6 months and access to a start-up loan to people who are out of work and would like to start their own business. Figures out today show that over 111,000 businesses have already been started with the support of the NEA.

The latest NEA figures show that the north-west had the highest number of start-ups (17,020) followed by London (13,410) and Yorkshire and the Humber (12,150).

Minister for Employment Damian Hinds said:

The NEA has been a huge success in supporting enterprising jobseekers turn their business dreams into a reality, and now we’re offering mentoring to help people in receipt of Universal Credit who are already self-employed as they grow their businesses.

Small businesses are the backbone of our economy and we want to do all we can to ensure people succeed.

The figures also show that of the people who have started up a business with NEA support:

• over two thirds were aged between 25 and 49, 24% were over the age of 50 and 7% were aged between 18 and 24
• 40% were women
• 22% have a self-declared disability
• 13% were from a black and minority ethnic (BME) background

111,540 businesses have been set up through the NEA scheme. The financial support is paid as a weekly allowance of £65 a week for 13 weeks and then £33 for the following 13 weeks (a total of £1,274 over 26 weeks)

More information

Mentoring is available to Universal Credit full service claimants whose business income fall below, or looks set to fall below, their Minimum Income Floor.

People who already own their own business are eligible for mentoring, but not for the financial support aspect of the scheme.

Successful applicants to the NEA start-up support get access to a business mentor, and those who start their business can receive financial support for up to 6 months, mentoring support for up to 12 months and may be able to apply for a loan of up to £25,000 to help with start-up costs.

Read more about NEA – www.gov.uk/new-enterprise-allowance

The full regional breakdown

Entries are rounded to the nearest 10.

Region	Individuals with an NEA business start
North-west	17,020
London	13,410
Yorkshire and Humberside	12,150
West Midlands	10,650
Scotland	10,250
South-east	8,450
South-west	7,680
East of England	7,610
North-east	7,500
Wales	6,580
East Midlands	6,400

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HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is today (20 December 2017) warning the public about a high-profile phone scam that is conning vulnerable and elderly people out of thousands of pounds.

The scammers are preying on victims by cold calling them and impersonating an HMRC member of staff. They tell them that they owe large amounts of tax which they can only pay off through digital vouchers and gift cards, including those used for Apple’s iTunes Store.

Victims are told to go to a local shop, buy these vouchers, and then read out the redemption code to the scammer, who has kept them on the phone the whole time. The conmen then sell on the codes or purchase high-value products, all at the victim’s expense.

The scammers frequently use intimidation to get what they want, threatening to seize the victim’s property or involve the police. The use of vouchers is an attractive scam as they are easy to sell on and hard to trace once used.

HMRC would never request the settling of debt through such a method.

The scam continues to hit a large number of people. Figures from Action Fraud, the UK’s national fraud reporting centre, show that between the beginning of 2016 and August this year there have been over 1,500 reports of this scam, with the numbers increasing in recent months. The vast majority of the victims are aged over 65 and suffered an average financial loss of £1,150 each.

HMRC is working closely with law enforcement agencies, Apple and campaign groups to make sure the public know how to spot the scam and who to report it to.

HMRC’s Director General of Customer Services, Angela MacDonald, said:

These scammers are very confident, convincing and utterly ruthless. We don’t want to see anyone fall victim to this scam just before Christmas. That’s why we’re working closely with crime fighters to ensure taxpayers know how to avoid it.

These scams often prey on vulnerable people. We urge people with elderly relatives to warn them about this scam and remind them that they should never trust anyone who phones them out of the blue and asks them to pay a tax bill. If you think you’ve been a victim you should contact Action Fraud immediately.

Temporary Detective Chief Inspector Lara Xenoudakis, City of London Police, said:

Fraudsters perceive the elderly and vulnerable as easy targets, so we are urging people to be wary of HMRC-related frauds to protect themselves, family members and friends.

We have received an increasing number of reports in which we have been told that people are being asked to pay fraudsters in iTunes vouchers. People should be cautious of unsolicited emails, calls or letters and always check directly with HMRC to ensure they are legitimate before responding.

Chief Executive of Tax Help for Older People, Gary Millner, said:

Tax Help for Older People fully supports HMRC in tackling this particularly wicked scam. We have taken too many calls from people who have fallen foul of it. The amounts of money lost are significant for some, and the feelings of helplessness, violation and embarrassment are immense.

Recognising and reporting a scam

If you suspect that you or a vulnerable or elderly relative has been the victim of this scam or a similar one, you should report it immediately to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or use their online fraud reporting tool.

Check GOV.UK for information on how to avoid and report scams and recognise genuine HMRC contact.

If you think you have received an HMRC-related phishing or bogus email or text message, you can check it against the examples shown in this guide.

Apple provides a support page reminding customers that iTunes Gift Cards can be used only to purchase goods and services on the iTunes Store, App Store, iBooks Store, or for an Apple Music membership, and providing tips to avoid becoming the victim of a scam. More information is available here.