Parliamentary written answers
Housing Minister Caroline Flint has ruled out a formal review of the effectiveness of Home Information Packs (HIPs) until "after the housing market has returned to more normal conditions", in a written answer to Lib Dem Mark Oaten.
She wrote:
We continue to keep the implementation of Home Information Packs (HIPs) under review in light of market conditions. An evaluation of the HIPs programme is currently planned for 2010 by updating "The HIPs Baseline Research Report", published in January 2007 and which is available on our website at:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/housing/hipbaselineresearch
We will keep the timing of this evaluation under review in order that it should take place after the housing market has returned to more normal conditions and to enable the identification of the impacts of HIPs separately from wider housing market effects.
Home Information Packs: 10 Sep 2008: Written answers (TheyWorkForYou.com)
That will surely please Tory shadow housing minister, Grant Shapps, who called for a HIP holiday on Wednesday.
