Housebuilder Redrow has announced pre tax profits of £69.1 million for the six months up to December 2004. This is an increase on the previous year of 22%. The strong results come as Redrow launch their range of Debut homes, a response to deputy prime minister John Prescott’s £60,000 house challenge. Redrow’s chairman Robert Jones said: “Redrow’s focus has been upon maximising selling prices and hence protecting margins, rather than chasing volume during this expected period of adjustment between the strong markets of recent years and a return to more normal levels of activity.” The level of forward sales had dropped by 6% to £317 million at an average selling price of £162,700 by the end of December 2004.