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Tories call for Hips scheme to be scrapped

Monday, 31 March 2008 8:51 AM

The Conservative Party is expected to use today's parliamentary debate on the housing and regeneration bill to call for the abolition of the government's home information pack (Hip) scheme.

Following sustained criticism from industry stakeholders, the Hip scheme was rolled-out to cover all properties sold in England and Wales on December 14th last year.

However, the documents remain controversial - costing more and taking longer to prepare than initially expected.

According to research for the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA) Hips can cost up to £500 to produce - well above the £350 price tag outlined by the government.

Furthermore, only one in eight Hips is being produced within the predicted time of four to five working days.

In contrast 52 per cent are taking 12 days to complete, while a further 31 per cent are taking longer than 15 working days.

Under the present conditions a Hip must be commissioned before putting a home up for sale, rather than completed.

This delay will end on May 31st, when a completed pack will be required before a house can be listed for sale.

"Everyone involved, be it experts or consumers, recognises that Hips have failed in every aspect," argued Tory housing spokesman Grant Shapps.

In response, the opposition is likely to force a vote during today's debate on the future of the scheme, with the ambition of scrapping the policy.

The party has also outlined a commitment to scrap the policy should it win the next election and come to power.

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