<p>Major housebuilders last week met with housing minister Mark Prisk to stress that government initiatives on mortgage support - such as Help to Buy - are working and will lead directly to more homes being built.</p> <p>The meeting took place as it was revealed that 12,500 reservations have been made through Help to Buy up to the end of August and the scheme is on target to deliver the 74,000 homes intended over the next years.</p> <p>Home Builders Federation executive chairman Stewart Baseley, who was at the meeting, said that Help to Buy has been an "unqualified success". "All the signs are that the next couple of months will see a significant number of people realising their ambition of home ownership."</p> <p>Barratt ceo Mark Clare said: "Customer interest in Help to Buy has been very strong. We are now preparing for further growth and have committed &pound;1 billion to land investment for new homes and we're also expanding the business by taking on 600 new apprentices and graduates."</p> <p>Jeff Fairburn, Persimmon ceo, endorsed this view saying&nbsp;his firm has increased build activity while Taylor Wimpey boss Pete Redfern said the increase in demand "enables us to build more homes on the …