Commenting on claims that HIPs aren’t detrimental to the Housing Market, Shadow Housing Minister, Grant Shapps said:

"Home Information Packs aren't worth the paper they're written on. They duplicate costs as buyers and lenders don't trust the contents. They impose a barrier to selling your home which restricts housing supply. Even AHIPPs own survey admits that 15 per cent of home owners have been put off selling, which represents an ongoing detrimental effect on the housing market."

ENDS

Trevor Kent adds, as I said only this morning on BBC Radio, "one way to aid the property market is to support the party who have pledged to withdraw HIPs". Trevor believes that, should the government be returned to power, HIPs may even be made more draconian and expensive than currently, and that the consequence may be an end to the current slight improvement in sales and prices.