Housing starts in England have plummeted 42% in the past year, according to the government’s latest national statistics on housebuilding. Total starts of all types stood at 90,430 in 2008-9 to the end of March, 51% below their peak in 2005-6. From January to March 2009, starts totalled 18,340, up 13% on the previous quarter, but were still 44% lower …