Commenting on FSA proposals to help homeowners in mortgage arrears, Graeme Brown, Director of Shelter Scotland, said: 'These new proposals are great news for thousands of struggling homeowners and a welcome addition to the tougher rules for lenders proposed in the FSA's mortgage market review.

'With people in Scotland in mortgage arrears and repossessions across the UK [1] still the highest we have seen for over a decade, this is no time to be complacent. Whilst we have seen a real improvement in many lenders' arrears management practices over the past two years, these new proposals will ensure better practices are embedded in regulation for the future and make a long-term difference to homeowners in financial difficulty.'

Notes to editors

1. Please note that there are currently no statistics for the number of repossessions in Scotland collected centrally. Shelter Scotland continues to call for these to be collected centrally and published.