Home Information Pack Regulations 2007

My Lords, I speak as chairman of the Local Government Association. I am grateful for the reversal of the implementation, butit still leaves us with great uncertainty—in manyways, more uncertainty than we had before. There is uncertainty for home buyers, home owners, professional organisations and my own particular interest, local government trading standards staff. Local government trading standards staff have been heavily involved in the preparation for this.They have been training for it and are involved the regulation, its enforcement and the wider issue of public awareness. Trading standards officers havean immensely professional body called LACORS. It normally deals with any legislation in a responsible and professional way and often simply cautiously welcomes whatever the Government say. However, I shall remind the House of the evidence that LACORS gave to the Select Committee of your Lordships’ House. Its professional officer wrote: "““LACORS does not perceive how HIPs will make the home-buying process easier and more transparent””." Indeed, LACORS also felt that the enforcement provisions are problematic and that HIPs would not be effective in delivering the Government’s policyfor making property transactions cheaper or more transparent. For our staff, it is a bit like being in the grand old Duke of York’s army. They have been marched up the hill of home conditions reports; they have been marched up the hill toward 1 June; and they have now been given a new hill of four-bedroomed homes, which my noble friend Lord Caithness spoke about so well. We need absolute certainty. In local government, we do not even have certainty about the funding issues. The preparation of this proposal has cost a great deal of money and time. The Minister will remember some months agothat some £2.2 million was supposed to have been identified for local government. At Christmas we asked where it was and we were told that it had been included in the annual base increase awarded the year before. Our local government staff seem unable to find it, so I think we need some clarity on the issue. I should like confirmation that this extra cost will not put any burden on to council taxpayers. The original objectives were to try to have a process which added to transparency and was simpler. We have heard a lot of talk about climate change today. The original objectives of home condition reports, which objectives at least were understandable, have moved to objectives which are less clear. If this issue is simply about energy then I have a lot of sympathy with the noble Baroness, Lady Deech. She asked whether this is actually the best way to improve energy efficiency. I am one of those people who has lived in my house for 40 years. I do not intend to move. Are we saying that these home condition reports are only for when you move? Therefore, we really do need a rethink on this. Above all, I ask for clarity in the process and in the timetable, and certainty for local government staff and trading standards staff, who have worked very hard on this matter and who have been let down by a process that has not been well managed.