December 2007 / January 2008

HIPs extension ‘is just insane’!

Sir,

I have just read Yvette Cooper’s statement on the rollout of HIPs for one- and two-bedroom properties as of December 14.

I note it makes reference to a number of “consultations” she has had undertaken (no doubt obtained at substantial cost to the taxpayer) to estimate the effct HIPs have had up to now on the market.

Isn't it a great shame she has failed so far to consult the people that actually know what is going on — estate agents, solicitors, and the public who have been involved since August?

They know the real answers and they would have supplied them free of charge if asked. But they would not have given her the answers she needed. Just when will the “Emperor’s New Clothes” syndrome wear off? Some day, the lady has to wake up and smell the coffee.

To introduce HIPs to one- and two-bedroom properties when they are simply not working, and at such a delicate time in the economy, is just insane. Is the Government trying to destroy the very fabric of what keeps the UK economy sound, I ask myself?

ANDREW C DEWAR, Joint Senior Partner,
Curchods, Surrey.