UK house prices continued to recover in December, rising by 1.0 pct from November for a 5.1 pct annual increase, a survey by HBOS PLC unit Halifax showed. The average seasonally-adjusted house price stands at 171,362 stg. Over the final quarter of 2005, house prices rose by 2.1 pct from the previous quarter, "confirming a modest recovery in prices during the latter part of last year", Halifax said.