The trials of home information packs (HIPs) are being hijacked by an unregulated group of commercial interests, the Law Society claimed as the government announced £4 million in funding to promote take-up.

Housing minister Yvette Cooper pledged the money to support voluntary area trials of the slimmed- down packs, in partnership with the Association of Home Information Pack Providers (AHIPP). The first trials will be in Bath, Newcastle, Southampton, Northampton, Huddersfield, and Cambridge, and will start in November.


Details of how pack providers can apply for the funding and how it will be used have not been clarified, but all organisations preparing HIPs on a voluntary basis in the trial areas could be eligible, a Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) spokeswoman said.


The DCLG also said it aims to have in place redress schemes available to consumers who have HIP-related complaints by the time the packs are introduced on 1 June 2007.


Desmond Hudson, Law Society chief executive for representation, said: 'We question whether a trial with unregulated pack providers is an appropriate use of taxpayers' money. Unregulated pack providers could put consumers at risk.'


But Mike Ockenden, AHIPP's director general, insisted the trials were not being hijacked. He pointed out that many AHIPP members and other pack providers were solicitors firms. 'All pack providers will have to adhere to codes of practice overseen by an independent compliance board and carry professional indemnity insurance,' he said.


Catherine Baksi