The Treasury Solicitor’s Office, who were acting for the Department, received a facsimile copy of the order, dated 17 may, at 12.27 pm on 17 May. Neither lawyers nor others representing the Department were present when the ruling was given.
There is nothing in the regulations to prevent an estate agent from selling a property with a home information pack produced by another estate agent, provided that the pack complies with the terms of the regulations.
Advertising for the home information packs have been placed in the following journals:
The Negotiator
Mortgage Solutions
Estate Agency News
Mortgage Strategy
Lending Strategy
Money Marketing
Financial Adviser
Law Society Gazette
RICS Business
Period Living
House Beautiful
Good Housekeeping
House and Garden
25 Beautiful Homes
Country Living
World of Interiors
BBC Good Homes
Country Homes
Homes and Gardens
BBC Home and Antiques
Ideal Home
Living Etc
Real Homes
Daily Telegraph
Times
Guardian
Independent
Daily Mail
Express
Evening Standard
Londonpaper
Metro
London Lite
City AM
Sunday Telegraph
Sunday Times
Observer
Independent on Sunday
Mail on Sunday
Sunday Express
Newcastle Evening Chronicle
Exclusive Magazine
Southern Property Adviser
Northampton Chronicle and Echo
Huddersfield Daily Examiner
Cambridge Evening News
Cambridge Property News
South Shields Gazette
Teesside Evening Gazette
Sunderland Echo
Northern Echo
Hartlepool Mail
Shields Gazette
South Tyne Star
Yorkshire Evening Post
Hull Daily Mail
Sheffield Star
Bradford Telegraph and Argus
Yorkshire Evening Press
Grimsby Evening Telegraph
Halifax Evening Courier
Brighton Evening Argus
Portsmouth News
Reading Evening Post
Basildon Evening Echo
Colchester Evening Gazette
Kent Messenger
Bournemouth Daily Echo
Gloucester Citizen
Swindon Evening Advertiser
Bath Chronicle
Gloucestershire Echo
Liverpool Echo
Lancashire Evening Telegraph
Blackpool Gazette
Oldham Evening Chronicle
Amra and Clacksons Evening package
Birmingham Evening Mail
West Midland Express and Star
Stoke on Trent Evening Sentinel
Oxford Mail
Derby Evening Telegraph
Worcester Evening News
Peterborough Evening Telegraph
Ipswich Evening Star
Norwich Evening News
Southern Daily Echo
Exeter Express and Echo
Lincolnshire Echo
Bolton Evening News
Chester Chronicle
Scunthorpe Evening Telegraph
Western Mail
Wrexham Evening Leader
South Wales Evening Post
South Wales Argus
Bangor Mail
Cambrian News
Carmarthen Journal
Pontypridd Observer
Manchester Evening News
Plymouth Evening Herald
Torquay Herald
Coventry Evening Telegraph
Nottingham Evening Post
Southwark News
Leicester Mercury
Norwich Evening News
Bristol Evening Post
Bath Chronicle
Chelmsford Weekly News
Hereford Times
Basingstoke Gazette
Daily Post—Welsh Edition
Caernarvon Herald
Holyhead and Bangor Mail
South Wales Echo
(2) how many advertisements have been placed on behalf of her Department in relation to home improvement packs.
Between April 2006 and May 2007 the Department placed a total of 852 advertisements in the press and relevant magazines—of these, a total of 538 were in magazines or newspapers published before the announcement on 22 May.
299 advertisements have now been re-scheduled and will be used to promote the phased introduction of home information packs on 1 August.
15 adverts went to print before the announcement was made but are in publications appearing after 22 May. It would be irresponsible for the Government not to inform people about this important change to the way homes are bought and sold. It is vital consumer information.
The Department has spent £82,335 on the promotion of home information packs and energy performance certificates in the south-east Government office region.