Insurance News Archive

Ahipps rebuffs CML criticism

The Association of Home Information Pack Providers (Ahipp) has rebuffed criticism of Home Information Packs (Hips) by the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML).

Responding to the CML's warning to the government to assess whether the packs are justified, Mike Ockenden, director general of Ahipp, said he felt "compelled to put right some of the [CML's] inaccuracies".

Mr Ockenden said the group would be carrying out an independent dry-run of Hips commencing on November 6th.

He also said that an independent body would be assessing the impact of the packs in six of the locations in which they were being tested.

Their dry run will "show that Hips reduce the stress associated with buying and selling homes by reducing the number of failed transactions and providing certainty in the process –something which all customers will welcome", Mr Ockenden added.

Hips, expected to cost between £650 and £1,000, will become a mandatory element of house selling in June 2007.

30 Oct 2006