Gross mortgage lending rose by 16% to an estimated £12.6 billion in June, according to the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML).

This was up from the £10.8 billion lent in May but was 3% lower than the £13 billion lent in June 2010. This is the highest monthly total since July last year (£13.3 billion).

Gross lending for the second quarter of 2011 was an estimated £33.5 billion, an 11% increase from the first three months of this year (£30.1 billion) and a 3% decrease from the second quarter of 2010 (£34.4 billion).

Lending in the first half of this year totalled £63.7 billion. This is only slightly below the first six months of 2010 (£64.1 billion).

CML chief economist Bob Pannell said: “The UK economy continues to experience disappointing economic growth