SEARCHES: Law Society warns of solicitors' burden


The government has come under fire over its implementation of home information packs (HIPs), after Whitehall announced an extension of the scheme to cover three-bedroom properties from 10 September.



The Law Society criticised the government for failing to conduct an evaluation of the first phase before extending the scheme. Vice-President Paul Marsh said: 'We are deeply disappointed that the government is continuing its cavalier approach. It is far too early to be sure how the introduction of HIPs has worked in practice.'



He was also critical of the burden being placed on solicitors to underwrite any risk to the buyer or the lender from the use of personal searches in HIPs prepared by estate agents.



But Paul Broadhead, deputy director of the Association of Home Information Pack Providers, an organisation traditionally allied closely with the government's controversial scheme, said this need not be a problem for solicitors if the public obtained packs from providers that had signed up to the voluntary industry regulator, the Property Codes Compliance Board.



A Department for Communities & Local Government spokesman said most major mortgage lenders accepted personal searches, and solicitors routinely accepted and commissioned them.



Mr Broadhead added: 'Implementation has been a bit of a farce and the adverse media attention has coloured consumers' views of the packs.' He said he remained supportive of the initiative, adding that a phased introduction had been the intention.



Catherine Baksi