Lowering interest rates to keep house prices rising is a rediculaous suggestion. Houses builders must adjust to market conditions and lower their prices. The house price boom has been achieved by a meteoric rise in peronal debt. The next three or four years is going to see a large adjustment in house prices and a painful increase in human misery as the repossession game gets under way.

Chris Eades, Chipping Norton,

Keith is spot on, if housebuilders are quivering about the state of the housing market then instead of whining about interest rates it they should cut their prices to boost interest.

Offer a decent discount (aka realistic house prices) and stock will start shifting again.

The FSA has asked us all to be mindful of more expensive credit for the forseeable future, and housebuilders should take note.. unless they can batten down the hatches for 4 years not seling anything and still survive, they'll be going under... OR they can start making, producing, and selling affordable homes at reasonable profit and make it through.

Anyone buying a new build should demand a 30% discount or walk away.

joanna, london,

So its all the fault of UK interest rates it is, nothing at all to do with with the fact that housing is stupidly overpriced.

The government should let this bubble deflate, and not drop interest rates to prop up house builders profits. First time buyers having to borrow 5/6 times salary cannot be allowed to continue.

Steve, London,

yeah..lets cut rates to help homebuilders!!
righto

marc, kent, uk

I cannot recall Bovis calling for interest rate hikes to reign in rampant house price inflation. Perhaps this would have been a more far-sighted strategy, rather than making short-term profits from the bubble, then calling for emergency rate cuts when it began to deflate.

Jesper Higgins, Bristol, UK

Manufacturing costs at a 22-year high and a housebuilder wants a rate cut!

Paul, Coventry,

I am not in favour of a rate cut, but even if it was cut I don't think it will help the mortgage market. The base rate has been cut a number of times recently but these have not been passed on to the borrowers. The lenders have reduced investment rates but increased mortgage rates to fill their coffers so they can look good, say there is no problem and increase the returns to their shareholders.

I am hoping for at least 40% drop, maybe then my three children might be able to pick up some bargain ex 'buy to let' houses.

Phil, Bristol,

Im in one of these new-build houses (not Bovis but a another house-builder) -all plaster-board and plastic-they ought to sell at what they are worth-that might get things moving again

steve, coventry, uk

Perhaps Bovis and the like would consider dropping the prices of their over inflated prices by 20% to kick start the housing market, that is the only way i will be tempted back in

Keith, Exeter Devon,

A rate cut should be the last thing on BoE's mind given the inflation rate, and boosting house prices is the worst reason for doing so. The builders and banks have conspired to maintain the largest asset bubble seen in years and are now trying to delay the inevitable. You know a bubble has reached popping point when people start talking about 'intergenerational mortgages' in a serious tone of voice! Let them struggle as FTBs have struggled for years. They've had their rich pickings, now's the time to face the lean years.

wizzwoo, London,

Rate cuts are not solely about the housing market - this is also about inflation. Unlike the Federal Reserve in the US, the BoE in the UK does not have a mandate to maintain full employment. It only has a mandate to maintain inflation at or below 2%. Unless that target is in jeopardy there is no reason to change interest rates.

Bovis and its fellow housebuilders have made record profits out of the housing boom so why should they be calling for rate cuts at the first sign of trouble? Surely they are now well-capitalised due to the record profits of the last 5 years? If not, then they have no-one to blame but their own management. The wider economy cannot be put in jeopardy for the sake of one business sector's profit margins.

MB, Edinburgh,