<p>Home condition reports (HCRs) will no longer be a compulsory component of home information packs (HIPs), when they are introduced next June. Housing minister Yvette Cooper said the government was concerned that the 7,000 inspectors needed would not be in place in time for next year and that further testing was necessary.</p> <p>A watered-down version of HIPs will now be introduced, comprising property searches and other documents, including an energy performance certificate. Cooper added: “Mandatory HCRs will remain on the table if the industry fails to make a success of the roll-out of HCRs.”</p> <p>The industry has welcomed the scrapping of compulsory home condition reports, which would be a costly duplication of information already provided as part of new home warranties. But John Slaughter, HBF director of external affairs, said: “Nothing was said about the market impact of HIPs – our main concern. It looks like a muddled half-way house.”</p><b> <p>NEXT KEY DATE: HIPs are due to be introduced on June 1 2007</p></b>