UK new home registrations climbed 22% to 31,739 in Q1 2013, driven by the performance of London and public sector registrations, NHBC's quarterly figures reveal.<br> <br> The figures – which compare to the same period in 2012 – are the highest seen for this period since 2008, NHBC said. Private sector registrations rose 16% to 23,608, whilst public sector registrations soared 43% to 8,131. NHBC said that the latter had been primarily fuelled by the government's £2.2 billion Affordable Homes Programme, set to deliver 170,000 new homes by April 2015.<br> <br> London saw a 61% increase in registrations against Q2 2012 to 7,287, aided by the registration of more than 800 new homes at Battersea Power Station for its first phase.<br> <br> New government housebuilding statistics show that private starts in England in Q1 2013 were up 7% to 22,200 against Q4 2012. Meanwhile, private completions were down 7% to 19,980.