The second quarter Funding for Lending Scheme data emerged earlier this week. Suffice to say it didn't make for particularly good reading.
While net lending was up by £1.6 billion during the quarter, the annual figure was still down by £2.3 billion over the year. The Bank of England said that the data had been 'broadly flat'.
Broadly flat is a euphemism for: not a lot has happened really. Although in fairness to the UK's banks, that's not technically true.
There's no doubt whatsoever that the Funding for Lending Scheme has had an effect on the price and availability of mortgages. Rates on term loans have hit new lows and are starting to get silly almost.
Even at higher LTVs loans on the high street are now very competitive. Mortgage brokers around the UK are reporting increased demand as a result and estate agents also seem far more bullish as prices rise.
In short, there is growing optimism within the property market, and clearly much more activity.
So how does this tally with a 'broadly flat' diagnosis? Well, it's because the banks, while opening the doors to mortgage applicants, have still got the shutters firmly down on Britain's SMEs.
Net lending to the UK's SMEs remains negative. Deeply so, in fact.
Basically, banks have no appetite whatsoever for lending to tomorrow's businesses and this is causing many perfectly viable businesses to fail. At this rate, tomorrow will really never come.
But let's not get all doom and gloom. Thankfully, alternative finance - short and medium term lenders fall within this bracket - are filling the gap where the banks fear to tread. There is hope, even if sometimes it doesn't feel like that.
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