Government programmes have helped to boost the number of affordable homes being built in the UK, according to the National House-Building Council, which has published figures for February.

A total of almost 3,000 new affordable homes were registered in February this year, up nearly 120% on the figure of 1,373 in the same month of 2012.

The statistics also show that the UK house-building industry has also enjoyed a good start to 2013 with all new home registrations up nearly 24% last month to 10,538, compared with 8,512 in February last year.

The NHBC said the "main driver" of the increased building has been the Government's £2.2 billion Affordable Homes Programme, which aims to deliver 170,000 new homes by April 2015. But the figures also suggest that current Government schemes such as NewBuy and Funding for Lending are helping to boost new house-building.

NHBC commercial director Richard Tamayo said: "The big rise in new homes being registered - particularly affordable homes - is very encouraging news for Britain's house-building industry, which has been through a very difficult time in recent years.

"The dramatic rise in affordable homes is good news for first-time buyers and social housing tenants. However, it is important that quality is not compromised in the rush to build these new houses before the Government's April 2015 deadline.

"These figures, combined with the boost for housing announced in the Budget, are a welcome shot in the arm for builders up and down the country."

New homes registered in the three-month period December 2012 - February 2013 totalled 26,004, a 21% increase on the same period last year. Private sector registrations were up 14% to 18,824 and public sector up 47% to 7,180.