The article on the quality of house construction (Cracked tiles, wonky gutters, leaning walls – why are Britain’s new houses so rubbish?, 21 October) reminds me of the home information packs (Hips) promised in the Queen’s speech in 2003 and brought in by the Labour government in 2007. The pack was to bring together all the required legal documentation, an energy performance certificate (EPC) and a home condition report; hundreds of building professionals enlisted in courses that would lead to qualification as home inspectors.
One of the first actions of the then communities secretary, Eric Pickles, in the coalition government in 2010 was to suspend the requirement for Hips, saying they were “expensive and unnecessary” and were “stifling a fragile housing market”. Hips were finally abolished in 2012, leaving only the EPC as a statutory requirement. North of the border, however, an assessment of the condition of a property is still a condition of sale.
