Help to Buy boosts housebuilder Persimmon Persimmon said improved availability of mortgage credit helped revenues rise 12pc in the first half of the year to £900m from the same period last year. The company completed 5,022 new homes, representing a rise of 7pc, while margins rose by almost three percentage points, to 15pc. Average selling prices rose 5pc to £179,200, as Persimmon sold more family homes. Help to Buy, where the Government provides a loan of up to 20pc of the value of a new property, has been credited with giving Britain's construction industry a "shot in the arm," after months of lacklustre growth. However, several economists have criticised the scheme for driving up prices without addressing housing shortages. The boss of housebuilder Taylor Wimpey, one of Britain's biggest housebuilders, has also criticised the scheme. He told the Daily Telegraph that it could pose a "genuine hazard" to the economy unless a time limit is imposed on it. Analysts said the fact that Persimmon had zero exposure to the London market put the company at an advantage over its rivals, as higher average selling prices in the capital often precluded a large number of properties from being eligible for Help to Buy. "As a regional player, the company is likely to be one of the leading beneficiaries of government initiatives," said Jon Bell at Shore Capital. The shares were flat in early trade, at 1,234p.