As predicted, the Home Improvement Packs (HIPs) debate is rolling on and intensifying by the day. The Lords merits committee, chaired by Lord Filkin, published a report on the committee's findings, which concluded "We cannot but conclude that the government has not been able to convince the principal stakeholders in the housing market that their proposals as they now stand are worthwhile or sensible, or are likely to be effective for their declared purposes." In other words they are a complete waste of time and money. As always, it seems these days, the government are justifying them on environmental grounds.
The only element of the pack that is of any use to anyone will be the energy performance certificates (EHPs). It has become such an issue that the "opposition" Tory party have backed down after a tame bit of lobbying from Friends of the Earth and the WWF. Up until this point they were firmly against the packs, but the threat of looking "un-green" is obvious far worse a prospect than actually doing the sensible thing and opposing this misinformed policy. HIPs will cost up to £1000 for sellers and it is widely believed that they will undermine the housing industry. Why, then is the government forcing this through when the market clearly isn't ready for it and EHPs do not need to be implemented in conjunction with the HIPs? Michael Gove, who originally opposed the HIPs repsonded to the green agenda by saying "While we want to debate the whole Hip package, and stop Hips being implemented in the form they currently take, we shall not use our vote to impede prompt and effective EPC implementation." In other words, we won't vote against HIPs because we want to be green and any at cost - even common sense.