HIPs have cleared the final hurdle and will now become mandatory on 1 June after the government won a crucial vote in the House of Commons.
However, Eddie Goldsmith, senior partner at Goldsmith Williams, said: “It’s a damaged product already and we are going to have to build it up again. People have been delaying their plans for HIPs and I’ve spoken to many brokers who haven’t done anything yet about finding a provider. The world will still turn on 1 June but I think we are in a no-win situation now.”
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Despite the Conservatives voting for the packs to be scrapped and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) launching mechanisms for a Judicial Review, the government won the vote 306 votes to 234.
Opponents of the legislation still thought the government should scrap the plans, despite the vote.
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Jeremy Leaf, RICS spokesman, said: “The government should be brave and postpone its flawed plans for home buying reform. By preventing this potentially damaging policy Gordon Brown could give substance to his claim to lead a listening government.”
However, HIP supporters welcomed the news as an end to the debate and called for the industry to make sure it was ready for the implementation date.
Mike Ockenden, director-general of the Association of Home Information Pack Providers, welcomed the government’s victory. “Yet again, the government has demonstrated its commitment to reducing the carbon emissions of our housing stock and to improving the house buying and selling process for consumers, through the implementation of HIPs.”
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