MRS Derrick's letter (June 10, 'Scrapping HIPs . . .' ) outlined the disappointments felt by so many who have experienced the whims of Government.
We all have good ideas from time to time and so did Government who wanted to answer the 'call' to speed the process of home buying. The HIP (Home Information Pack) was far from perfect but I believe it achieved its quest to a degree and was a vehicle which held opportunity for improvements in the way we buy and sell our homes. Odd that many would not buy a car without a log book and MOT but are quite prepared to enter into the process of contract with little more than agent's sales details and a few minutes' viewing time — for most, by far, their biggest ever purchase.
HIPs have not been 'scrapped' but 'suspended' —a significant difference in legal perspective but the effects are the same and some 11,000 people from the now HIP industry have been affected, many now redundant. The promised consultation on HIPs to evaluate their worth never happened but Mr Schapps' election pledge was fulfilled, so all's well then!
Tim Baxter
Tavistock