Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Brown backs away from fuel tax rise The Treasury is likely to scrap a planned increased in petrol tax in September, it emerged yesterday, as oil prices hit a 21-year high.

BBC NEWS | Business | Oil prices set new record highs The price of crude oil has hit a record high in New York and gained in London as concerns about supply and security persist.

FT.com: House prices pose 'risk' to stability Robust consumer spending will push growth this year well ahead of other large European economies but house prices pose a "major risk" to stability, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has warned.

Bloomberg.com:Bank of England Sees Risks to Housing Market From Landlords U.K. investors who bought residential property to rent it out may push the housing market into a slump, the Bank of England's network of regional agents said.

BBC NEWS | Business | Jobless figure drops to new low UK unemployment fell by 48,000 in the three months to March taking the figure to its lowest since records began.

BBC NEWS | Business | Inflation 'set to rise above 2%' UK inflation is set to move above the official 2% target in two years time, according to the Bank of England.

BBC:UK House Prices Check out house prices in your area and across the UK

BBC NEWS | Business | North leads house price increase House prices in the north of England and Wales rose at more than twice the rate of the South East in the first three months of 2004.

BBC NEWS | Business | Housing market shows modest riseThe UK property market only edged ahead during March, with prices rising by 0.2%, government figures have shown.

Will the rising oil prices cause the housing bubble to burst? Have your say in the forum.

The Guardian: Why we're out of step on interest rates Monetary policy committee's strategy may well turn out to be justified in a way the policy of its overseas counterparts is not