Home Information Pack debate in Parliament

War of Surveys

Submitted by: MikeC (Admin) on 27-Jan-10 04:03:08 PM

If ever there was a case showing how surveys can prove anything – and therefore nothing – this is surely it.

Yesterday there was a short debate on Home Information Packs in which ministers dredge up various surveys to support their own positions. It’s disgraceful, and the worst offender in this exchange is the minister speaking on behalf of Government itself, Ian Austen.

As always, I am very grateful for the right hon. Gentleman's advice, but I can tell him that thousands of jobs and hundreds of small businesses depend on the HIP process and 13,000 people have invested thousands of pounds in training as energy assessors. The Opposition need to explain why they want to put all those jobs and businesses at risk.

Home Information Pack debate - TheyWorkForYou

Come on! No, Mr Austen, your Government already did that for them.

Even Rob Marris, a Labour MP, attacks HIPs by selectively using the high figure of £500, saying:

Does he really think that for most people, a cost of more than £500 to save an average of seven days, according to the Connells survey, is money well spent? A lot of my constituents do not.

This is how our laws are made people – the facts don’t matter; ego and pride rules. I despair.

Although I’ve picked on Labour, above, the Tories are equally guilty also.

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