LONDON (AFX) - Gross mortgage lending by major UK banks rose to 10.637 bln stg in October from 9.838 bln the previous month, according to the latest monthly data released by the British Bankers' Association. The BBA went on to report the number of new mortgage approvals rose 12 pct on the month to 187,205 in October, with the total value rising 11 pct to 10.805 bln stg. The average mortgage loan approval value was 75,400 stg, down from 76,000 in September. Seasonally adjusted net mortgage lending rose by 3.993 bln stg, up from September's 3.724 bln stg rise. The BBA said there were 47,513 remortgages approved during the month, up from 43,728 in September, at a value of 3.511 bln stg up from 3.139 bln previously. Approvals of loans secured on dwellings for purposes other than house purchase or remortgaging -- such as home improvement and equity release loans -- totalled 1.079 bln stg, up from 892 mln stg in September. The BBA reported that gross lending on personal loans totalled 3.763 bln stg in Oct, up from 3.169 bln in September, whilst after allowing for repayments, there was an increase of 521 mln stg, compared with an average monthly rise of 610 mln over the preceding six months. Gross lending on credit cards totalled 6.012 bln stg in February, up from 5.189 bln the previous month. Net lending rose 45 stg mln on a seasonally adjusted basis compared with September's 164 mln rise. On an unadjusted basis, repayments exceeded spending by 62 mln stg. Ian Mullen, BBA chief executive, said October's strong figures could be partly due to September's dip in demand. "However, there is no doubting the underlying buoyancy in the mortgage market, where lower interest rates should continue to underpin confidence," Mullen said. "Consumer confidence shows little sign of slowing, though we continue to see a reduced use of credit card borrowing in favour of structured personal loans," he added.