Ashley King Managing Director of Simply HIPS and a key industry figure in the development of the exchange ready HIPs has expressed his "utter disappointment" at what he considers to be the disgraceful way in which the Conservatives have suspended HIPS.
Ashley King stated that Grant Shapps as Shadow Housing Minister had promised not to abolish or suspend HIPS without a fully public consultation and at a time when this Government was elected to restore faith in politicians and the political process that it was "disingenuous" to proceed in this way.
The Association of Home Information Pack Providers website has comment from Mike Ockenden stating that
“We are hugely disappointed to hear that Grant Shapps has reneged on his promise to review the packs before any other action was taken. Over 3,000 jobs will go and 10,000 will be affected as a result of the suspension of HIPs and £100million revenue will be lost to the Treasury in VAT receipts.
“However, we want to work with the Government and we still want the consultation we have been promised. We are not suggesting that HIPs should be retained. AHIPP has accepted that they will be scrapped.
“We have been proposing for months that a legal or exchange ready pack be instructed at the start of the sales process. We think it would be crazy to throw the baby out with the bathwater and remove at a stroke all the good things that have come about with HIPs, and the lessons we have learnt.
“If we do this, then the opportunity for reform will have been lost for a generation.”
