Home Condition Reports abandoned

[Andrew Gabriel]

The government has abandoned the Home Condition Reports, which were due to be introduced next year for all house sales in England and Wales.

There seem to be several reasons for this: Cost of the HIPs (Home Information Packs) was looking like it was going through the roof; Nowhere near enough HI's (Home Inspectors) have been trained (I know from talking with one of the training bodies that almost all those who came forward for training were completely unsuitable); Banks/Building Societies have told government they won't accept the survey in the HIP; There has been a significant public backlash against the scheme.

It should be noted that HIPs are not abandoned yet -- only the survey element (Home Condition Report). However, strangely, the SAP evaluation is still in, which is done by the Home Inspectors during the Home Condition Report inspection. Quite how this is supposed to work I can't imagine.

There are also a large number of HI who have funded their own training who will now not be required -- I wonder what happens about that.

Yet another c*ck-up from start to finish -- exactly as predicted by everyone who gave the issue even the slightest thought at the outset.

[dom]

Link here:

[Dan delaMare-Lyon]

I was just about to say - "gee - we couldn't see that coming could we?" :)

Cheers Dan.

[jkn]

Hi Andrew I sent you an OT question via email a day or two ago - did you get it?

Thanks Jon N

[Tim S]

I have only one comment, as per Nelson the thug from the Simpsons:

Ha ha.

And good riddance.

Tim

[Phil L]

The government is good at that, organising large sweeping changes, often hugely unpopular and rarely get off the ground (ID cards is another dead herring), but hey-ho, a lot of people have already made millions from them so the main objective has been fulfilled - complete success!

[Andrew Gabriel]

[e-mail] gets over 1000 junk mails a day, so I haven't read emails sent to it for years. I just trawled through and dug out your email. I didn't persue the BT Converse 2025 headset connection, so I didn't work out the connections, sorry.

[Andy Hall]

On Tue, 18 Jul 2006 20:57:50 +0100, Andrew Gabriel wrote (in article ):

Brilliant news.

It would be interesting to know why they were considered to be unsuitable - i.e. whether they really *were* unsuitable, or weren't able to do the sharp intake of breath, the tapping of the clipboard and recite "It's more than my job's worth in 8 different languages"

It won't. In a few months time, that will be quietly dropped as well.

Hopefully, having lost their money without recompense, they will seek proper gainful employment.

I wonder if part P could be similarly targetted......

Must drop another letter to local MPs.

[jkn]

Hi Andrew

Yeah - I just came across an old discussion on spam where you mention this.

OK on the headset connection. If I get anywhere I'll let you know.

Cheers Jon N

[Andrew Gabriel]

The government assumed people from the building trade would apply to become HI's. What actually happened was that unskilled people with no knowledge whatsoever of building construction came forward for training, and that's not what the training courses were geared up to deal with. For example, most of them were never going to be able to be qualified to carry out the SAP assessment, and would have had to sub-contract it (one reason the price has rocketed).

That's the one part designed to meet an EU directive. I'm sure we've gold plated it though, just like we normally do.

[David Hansen]

On 18 Jul 2006 19:57:50 GMT someone who may be [e-mail] (Andrew Gabriel) wrote this:-

It is something dreamt up by party politicians, so by definition it is unlikely to work.

Anyone with an interest in such things will be able to gauge the running costs by using their eyes and asking a few questions. Those who are not interested are not interested. Thus the whole idea is just another example of pointless nanny state tactics. It gives administrators another box to tick, but is not useful to "real people".

They are in the same position as those who believed in company pensions, those railway staff who invested their meager savings in Railtrack and do on. The Labour Party doesn't give a shit about them.

[Doctor Drivel]

Matt, it is not brilliant news at all. The idea of HCR is sound indeed. An MOT at house change. It ensures that the buyer get a decent deal and the services are all inspected. Everyone gains.

You may find it is more on hold than abandoned.

[Guy King]

The message from "Doctor Drivel" contains these words:

If it were done properly that might just possibly be true. However, I suspect it would end up like most surveys - done from a distance with so many disclaimers that it'd not be worth the paper it's written on.

[Ed Sirett]

I think you'll be backing a loser. Firstly the matter is done and that means a magnitudes more effort to change things.

Secondly the real reason for Part P is the same as Part F,G,J L etc. ISTM it's to introduce a culture of qualification, registration and self-certification which makes being casually self-employed as a general workman very awkward.

Either you have to specialise or you have to be employed by a company which is registered. It's just too damn expensive to be registered for more than couple of trades, and very hard if you are not full time.

IIRC around 75% of all self-employed people are in construction and related trades. ISTM that the treasury or other departments want to control this sector. So far I expect they have simply driven it underground.

[Doctor Drivel]

If gas and electricity are tested and inspected than that is one way down the road that is right.

[Bob Eager]

It's one way to sort out the dangerous Drivel installations.

[Andrew Gabriel]

It doesn't. That's why the banks/building societies have told the government they won't accept the HCR.

That was never even part of the now abandoned plans.

[Dave]

For gawds sake, keep your voice down. They just might read this and put it into practice. You know what this control freak group guvmint are like :-(

Dave

[Andrew Gabriel]

I wish I thought I had any such influence with them. However, I don't donate any money or make loans to them.

[Andy Hall]

On Wed, 19 Jul 2006 14:43:59 +0100, Doctor Drivel wrote (in article ):

Anything involving a diminution in government involvement in people's daily lives is brilliant news.

The idea of HCR is sound indeed. An

No they don't.

Only a half wit in the position of buying a property would accept a survey commissioned by the vendor.

As long as the hold remains for the next 150 years or so, we can say it's on hold if you like.