Solicitors have three years to gear up for the controversial home information packs (HIPs) after the government said they will be introduced on 1 January 2007.

The later-than-expected date is mainly to allow universities and colleges time to set up and run training courses for the 5,000 to 8,000 inspectors estimated to be needed to do home condition reports.

Housing minister Keith Hill said: 'This will send a clear message to our industry partners as to what needs to be done.'

There is still widespread opposition to HIPs mainly because of the reports, and the move was denounced as 'foolishly ambitious' by the chairman of the Law Society's land law and conveyancing committee, Denis Cameron.

'I am in no way convinced that they will have enough home inspectors of sufficient quality in place by [2007],' he said.

'If there are not enough around, people will get very angry that they cannot sell their houses.'

Law Society President Peter Williamson said Chancery Lane remains concerned that the public will not rely on the costly home condition reports.

However, a government-commissioned pilot study, released earlier this month, said that 95% of buyers found such reports useful and 89% of sellers found them very useful.

Some 54% of buyers said the report was more useful than surveys and reports they had received in the past.

The study also obtained feedback from 15 conveyancers, a majority of whom said they trusted the reports as they had been produced by a fully qualified surveyor.

However, they said the home condition report would still be seen as 'a sellers' report' and many would still advise buyers to obtain their own independent survey.

The Housing Bill, which will introduce HIPs, is at the committee stage in the House of Commons.

Richard Harris, sole principal at Bristol firm Richard Harris & Co, who took part in an earlier trial, said: 'A lot of professionals are still not entirely happy with the proposals.

There is still the possibility of resistance, probably in the House of Lords.'

By Philip Hoult