To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent estimate she has made of the number of trained home inspectors needed each year to produce the expected volume of (a) energy performance certificates (EPC) and (b) the non-EPC element of voluntary home condition reports once home information packs are operational. (114463)

Overall estimates of the number of qualified individuals required to produce mandatory energy performance certificates and voluntary home condition reports remain at between 2,500 and 4,500. These are based on industry estimates of productivity and working patterns, together with data on the numbers of homes marketed for sale.

Numbers of qualified home inspectors will be supplemented by those who choose to undertake the Domestic Energy Assessor qualification (DEA), which will allow them to produce the mandatory Energy Performance Certificates within the pack.

This qualification is due to be launched during January and February, with three awarding bodies now finalising their courses in order to allow candidates currently in training to qualify as soon as it is launched.