UK: The Government has announced the suspension of Home Information Packs with immediate effect from 21 May 2010. The British Property Federation welcomed the scrapping of home information packs but called on the new Government to keep other promises and take bold action to help housing supply.
Speaking on BBC1's Breakfast programme, spokesman Andrew Teacher praised the new Government's decision to act quickly and avoid wasting time with needless consultation. "New communities secretary Eric Pickles and housing minister Grant Shapps have taken decisive action by scrapping HIPS that will be a boost to the housing market and help show that we're back in business.
"This is evidence of their keeping their pre-election promise and now we need to see other promises kept. We need other barmy legislation brought in by Labour – like the crackdown on shared housing – to be undone."
Housing minister Grant Shapps, along with prime minister David Cameron and environment secretary Caroline Spelman all signed a motion calling for the shared housing crackdown to be scrapped earlier this year.
The Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) will be retained. Sellers will still be required to commission, but won't need to have received, an EPC before marketing their property.
