The Merits report debate, conducted in the House of Lords, questioned the current plans in place for the launch of HIPs. The paper drew particular attention to the Energy Performance Certification (EPC) proposals and questioned whether HIPs would achieve the original policy objectives set by the government.
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The report also said the government had admitted that many EPCs would have to be updated more frequently than the suggested 10-year time span. However it suggested the government had made no plans to integrate the changes.
The paper concluded that the government had not been able to convince the principle stakeholders in the housing market that its proposals as they stand were sensible or worthwhile, or likely to be effective for their declared purposes.
It added that the government needed to do more before the 1 June deadline.
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However, Mike Ockenden, director-general at the Association of Home Information Pack Providers, said: “While its findings have been far from damning, the committee’s failure to consult with major players has made it difficult to see how a balanced report can have been derived.”
Ray Boulger, senior technical manager for John Charcol, said: “It was a very negative report, and didn’t have much evidence from the bodies in favour of HIPs. Interestingly, Which? was a key proponent of HIPs originally, and now it’s saying they shouldn’t go ahead. It’s hard to believe the government will pull HIPs at such short notice.”
