Home Information Pack Regulations 2007

My Lords, I should declare an interest as a solicitor, but I should say that I have no interest here in protecting my profession; my interest is in protecting the consumer. Reference has been made to so-called vested interests. Some interests may be vested but it is not appropriate to categorise all those who started out as stakeholders, as my noble friend said, as vested interests who are somehow on the wrong side. Certainly the view of the RICS changed from one of supporting the introduction of home information packs to opposing them because of the difficulties of which we are all aware. I cannot help but smile wryly at the wrong expansion of the acronym, which has happened even today. Home information packs have been called home improvement packs—would that they were.A question that arises from my experience of observance at a distance of conveyances—I cannot tell one end of a Land Registry document from another—is that, in attempting to streamline the process, there has been, or has been thought likely to be, an increase in personal searches. In using modern technology and encouraging streamlining, does the Minister have any comment on how that might be addressed? Perhaps it is a rather boring point but it is quite important in the question of streamlining. The Government acknowledged the importance of pilots, which I raised in a question following the Statement earlier. During the proceedings of the Housing Act 2004, we were at first told that it was not possible to pilot home information packs satisfactorily because the markets were not sufficiently localised. Then pilots were introduced, but—I have said this already today, but I will emphasise it—it is important that the results of those pilots are made public. When we debated HIPs last October, the Minister said that the Government, "““will look to see whether people genuinely feel better informed and more confident as a result of the pack””.—[Official Report, 11/10/06; col. 337.]" That is a very important statement, which I would extend from home information packs to energy performance certificates. We must not lose those or lose sight of ensuring that there is public confidence in energy performance certificates. The Statement referred to day-one marketing, and we understand that until the end of the year this will be permitted. This matter was taken up by my noble friend Lady Maddock with some energy, and by the noble Earl, Lord Caithness—until recently, day-one marketing without a home information pack was not on; now it is on but for seven months only. What factors are changing? Why can day-one marketing without home information packs be accepted up until the end of the year, when that will be reversed? Finally, on energy performance certificates, can the Minister—either today or, if it is too technical a question, following today’s debate but in a way we can all share, because it should be on the record—explain why it is not possible to proceed with energy performance certificates without home information packs? I suspect that it is technical and is to do with how the 2004 Act is framed. With the support expressed around the House for energy performance certificates, it is beginning to look more practical and less time consuming to go ahead with a bit of primary legislation to allow separate energy performance certificates, rather than have them caught up with HIPs which are now so controversial and lacking in support. I confess to feeling personally almost let down; perhaps that is too strong. I started the debate on home information packs seeing a good deal of merit in the proposal. My confidence has ebbed as the years have gone on, and I am now sad that the Government have failed. Although we are to get new regulations, I see it as a failure. Eight weeks will certainly not put it right, nor allow us the scrutiny required after this sorry saga.