Ministers attacked on Home Information Packs

Property and legal experts have accused ministers of failing to take their concerns about the introduction of Home Information Packs (HIPs) seriously. A group including the Law Society and Council of Mortgage Lenders said ministers had declined a meeting to discuss their concerns about the plan.

HIPs will become compulsory for all sellers in England and Wales on 1 June.
But the group said they were "seriously flawed" and would have a "devastating impact" on the housing market.
 
"In their current format, HIPs will prove to be ineffective and vastly impractical," said Charles Smailes, president of the National Association of Estate Agents, one of four organisations to have written to Tony Blair and Gordon Brown about the issue.
"I once again urge the government to work with the stakeholders and take note of our very real concerns."

The government believes HIPs, which will require sellers to have surveys and local authority searches done before putting properties up for sale, will speed up the selling process and give buyers added protection.