U-turn claim over house packs

18th July 2007

The Conservatives have accused the Government of a U-turn over its decision to delay the introduction of part of its Housing Information Packs scheme (HIPs). That’s after the Housing minister, Yvette Cooper, announced that the home survey element of the packs needed further testing – and wouldn’t be compulsory from 1 June next year, as planned. She also had concerns that there wouldn’t be enough inspectors trained up to compile these home condition reports.

HIPs are due to become mandatory in England and Wales next June. Sellers must compile the packs – at an estimated cost of £650 plus VAT – which can then be given to any potential buyer. Ministers insist this will speed up sales and mortgage offers, prevent broken chains and gazumping and save buyers money, by transferring the cost of surveys and searches to the seller.

But now Yvette Cooper has said that the introduction of the survey part of these packs, the Home Condition Report, would have to be postponed, following dry run tests around the country.

The Tories’ shadow Housing minister, Michael Gove, has branded the plans “a complete shambles”. He urged the Government to abandon the whole scheme, rather than “move ahead with a vanity project to save ministers’ faces”.

For the Liberal Democrats, local government spokesman Andrew Stunell said he was pleased ministers had responded to calls to pilot the packs. “There can now be a realistic assessment of how they will work and what snags there may be,” he said.