In October, there were 105,490 residential property transactions, HMRC has reported.

The “seasonally adjusted” figure was down 0.2% on September’s figure of 105,740 but 6.3% up on the 99,290 reported for October last year.

However, removing the “seasonal adjustment” gives an entirely different picture.

There were 118,010 residential property sales in October – up from September’s figure of 110,680, and just 2.6% higher than the previous October’s figure of 114,990.

Both HMRC’s “seasonally adjusted” and unadjusted figures for UK sales are well ahead of what the Land Registry quotes across England and Wales.

In July, the latest month for which there is data, the Land Registry quoted 81,696 sales.

That same month, July, HMRC reported 114,600 sales or, on an adjusted basis, 104,580.

There are similarly sizeable discrepancies between house prices reported by the ONS and the Land Registry.

As we have said before, if it suits your argument, you can take your pick.