Savings fall

TOTAL gross sales of all National Savings products in June amounted to pounds 709m. The highest sales were for fixed-interest savings certificates at pounds 263m, while the next highest were for income bonds at pounds 129m.

Sales were pounds 131m lower than the May figures, mainly because purchases of index-linked certificates dropped from an unexpectedly high level. After repayments of pounds 491m, net receipts totalled pounds 218m.

The total amount invested in National Savings at the end of June was pounds 41.3bn.