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The Government is introducing Home Information Packs in England
and Wales on 1 June 2007 and anyone selling a property must
provide potential buyers with a Pack. Every Pack will include
an Energy Performance Certificate. The Packs will also include
information such as searches and other legal documents. A
Home Condition Report giving details on the condition of a
property can also be included in the Packs on a voluntary
basis.
On 21 September
2006 Yvette Cooper, Housing and Planning Minister, announced
further details of how government sees Home Information Packs
(HIPs) operating when they come into force.
The announcement stated
that:
- Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) will form a mandatory
part of the HIP
- Government will be providing £4m for area trials to test
HIPs
- All EPCs and any voluntary Home Condition Reports (HCRs)
will need to lodged within a national database. Government
has chosen a preferred bidder to set this up.
- Government is pushing ahead with the approval of Certification
Schemes
- A 'stand alone' qualification for Energy Assessors is
being developed.
- The Department for Trade and Industry (DTI) has published
criteria to assess the suitability of applicants to run
redress schemes to handle HIP related complaints
Source: Department
for Communities and Local Government's press release |