Home Information Packs

Mr. Pickles
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government who is responsible for auditing the expenditure (a) in the six area trial for home information packs (HIPs) and (b) the funding for the energy performance certificates to be included in HIPs ordered prior to 1 August.

Caroline Flint
The Department's programmes and systems are subject to periodical audit by its internal audit service and the National Audit Office.

Mr. Stephen O'Brien
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the use of home information packs by estate agents in England since inception.

Caroline Flint
Our monitoring arrangements do not capture specific data on the use made of home information packs by estate agents. However, the Department's HIPs regional coordinators visit approximately 70 estate agents a week across England and Wales to listen to feedback and gather information.

Mr. Pickles
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the deadlines are for marketing homes without a home information pack, in relation to (a) four or more bedroom homes, (b) three bedroom homes and (c) all other homes.

Caroline Flint
Home Information Packs were introduced for homes with four or more bedrooms from 1 August 2007, for three-bedroom properties from 10 September 2007 and for all remaining residential properties from 14 December 2007. No date has yet been set when those properties marketed before the relevant commencement dates are required to have a Home Information Pack.