<p>Following the government’s last-minute climbdown over plans to introduce home information packs (HIPs)on June 1, it is now planning a “phased introduction”from August 1, beginning with four-bedroom homes. But the threat of a judicial review issued by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) looked like it may further delay the new implementation date as Housebuilder went to press. RICS’call for a judicial review, on the basis that government did not carry out the required 12-week consultation, and over concerns of a shortage of assessors required for the compulsory energy performance certificates (EPC), had forced the CLG into an embarrassing about-face.</p> <p>In a statement to the Commons in which she announced the withdrawal of HIPs regulations, communities secretary Ruth Kelly said the CLG had reached a “pragmatic way forward [with RICS] that gives certainty and allows us to get on with implementation.” But the issue over the judicial review had not been “resolved,”as claimed, according to RICS. A spokesperson confirmed: “The judicial review has been ‘stayed’and can be reactivated if the government fails to deliver on its obligations.” RICS has only agreed to stay the review on the following terms: the government provide a 12 week consultation period on EPCs; …