Following the publication of a report by the National Audit Office on the implementation of the Packs, Peter Bolton King, chief executive at the NAEA, commented: "This latest criticism, which has come from the government’s own audit office, is yet another confirmation of the inadequacy of HIPs.
“We have voiced our unhappiness over a number of aspects of the HIPs implementation right from the start and have not been alone in our concerns. A House of Lords Select Committee mirrored our worries earlier in the year when it met to discuss the legislation. Unfortunately, the government chose not to heed the warnings of the Committee, and indeed refused to take the advice being offered by industry stakeholders. The fact that a full investigation into the HIPs implementation is due to be launched next year by the National Audit Office speaks volumes. We also wonder what might have happened had the report come out some weeks before the HIPs start date rather than a few days after?"
