<p>Bank of England governor Mark Carney and deputy prime minister Nick Clegg both commented on the housing market on Sunday morning (May 18), with Carney naming the market as the biggest danger to economic recovery and Clegg saying Help to Buy should be curtailed if necessary.</p> <p>In response to the governor's comments Home Builders Federation executive chairman Stewart Baseley said: "We have an acute shortage of housing that has developed over decades and is going to take time to address. After years of the lowest rate on record, housebuilding is now increasing very rapidly.</p> <p>"First quarter private starts up a remarkable 44% year on year, with year to March private starts up 34%. To maintain and sustain these increases housebuilders need stability.</p> <p>The Help to Buy equity loan scheme has supported demand for new build homes and its extension provides certainty about longer-term demand. This is allowing the industry to plan ahead, rebuild capacity lost in the downturn and deliver. This is providing desperately needed homes and also creating jobs on sites across the country and in the supply chain.</p> <p>"Whilst the number of equity loan scheme sales is very small in terms of the overall housing market, it is …