Insurance News Archive
Hips delayed until August
Communities secretary Ruth Kelly today announced to the Commons that Home Information Packs (Hips) will be delayed until August, following a legal challenge by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (Rics).
The packs will now be introduced in phases, starting with four bedroom houses, as the scheme gears up to full implementation.
A judge ruling on Rics legal challenge had advised leaving out the energy certificates from the packs "for the time being" after concerns were raised by Rics that not enough inspectors were trained to carry out the checks on properties.
The energy certificates have been used by ministers as a central tenet of the packs since the dropping of Home Condition Reports last year.
Ms Kelly confirmed that the number of inspectors would not be enough come the planned June 1st start date, but said that the delay would ensure that the energy certificates could be included in the packs and fulfil their role to help cut carbon emissions in homes by highlighting problems.
Responding to the announcement, shadow housing minister Michael Gove claimed the government's housing plans were "unravelling" and called for ministers to acknowledge that they had "botched (the implementation of the scheme) from beginning to end".
22 May 2007
