Prime minister David Cameron has criticised banks and building societies for being too cautious with their mortgage lending and preventing the housing market from recovering.<br> <br> Cameron said a competitive housing market was vital to the economy and called for a return to “respectable” lending. “You need a housing market where people are able to sell and move. <br> <br> The housing market has become very stuck and we’ve got to get it moving again.”<br> <br> His comments came as the Council of Mortgage Lenders revealed in its latest figures that there was little change in the volume or value of mortgage activity in November with 44,000 loans advanced for house purchase, unchanged from October and a 15% drop in volume from November 2009. <br> <br> However CML said credit criteria loosened slightly for first time buyers in the month with loan-to-value ratios for first time buyers easing a little. <br> <br> Meanwhile Barratt demonstrated its determination to try to overcome the mortgage famine by announcing a tie-up with Hitachi Capital to allow parents to borrow money to help their children onto the property ladder. <br> <br> The firm says the product is specifically designed to address current mortgage restrictions …