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Hips delay 'political'

03/01/2008

The government's decision to delay its mandatory introduction of its controversial home information packs (Hips) was politically motivated, MPs have said.

The Commons' communities and local government select committee says ministers bowed to pressure from the media and others rather than making the decision based on "general conditions" in the UK housing market.

Hips were due to become mandatory for all properties in the UK on June 1st last year but the government opted to phase them in gradually from a delayed start one month before their scheduled rollout.

Four-bedroom houses required them from August 1st and three-beds by September 9th, while it was only on December 14th that they became compulsory for all properties put on the market in England and Wales.

"The long and tortuous process of introducing Hips signals a failure of delivery on the Department for Communities and Local Government's part," committee chairman Phyllis Starkey said.

"It is clear the reasons for this lie in poor preparation and then a retreat by the department's ministerial team."

The Royal Institution of Charted Surveyors' director of regulation, Steven Gould, said delivery of the Hips scheme "had a lot to be desired".

"By only listening to those who agreed with them, [the government] has failed to provide the best solution for consumers and the industry," he added.

But housing minister Iain Wright insisted the Hips rollout had been "smooth", saying the Department for Communities and Local Government had taken a "sensible and thoughtful approach" throughout.

“We appreciate the select committee wanted to see home information packs brought in sooner and faster; however, we have taken a sensible and thoughtful approach to ensure smooth implementation," he said.

"As the select committee is aware it was not possible to introduce Hips in June because of the Rics legal action against the energy performance certificate and, due to the resulting uncertainty, the number of assessors available."