Lunchtime news April 3

Scottish Conservatives want to scrap Communities Scotland and stage a major expansion of shared ownership through affordable housing trusts. Their chances of winning the Scottish elections are close to zero but could the plans be a signal of national policy? The Scotsman covers the issues in detail.

The Welsh assembly government has launched a new protocol aimed at releasing more surplus land for housing.

Papers including The Guardian report a big increase in mortgage equity withdrawal in the last quarter of 2006, taking the total for the year to almost £50bn.