<p>The government should establish a New Homes Ombudsman to mediate in disputes between consumers and housebuilders or warranty providers according to a parliamentary group report published today.</p> <p>The ombudsman would be paid for by a levy on housebuilders and would be seen as “a good way of applying pressure on housebuilders and warranty providers to deliver a better quality service”.</p> <p>The introduction of an ombudsman is one of ten key recommendations in the report – called “More homes, fewer complaints” - which follows a special commission of inquiry established by an all party parliamentary group (APPG) to investigate the quality and workmanship of new build housing in England.</p> <p>Other recommendations include:</p> <p>* standardising housebuilding sales contracts</p> <p>* giving buyers the right to inspect properties before completion</p> <p>* housebuilders to be required to provide buyers with a prescribed and comprehensive information pack</p> <p>* the Department of Communities and Local Government to conduct a thorough review of warranties</p> <p>* the industry to significantly increase skills training programmes;</p> <p>* the annual customer satisfaction survey to be more independent of HBF and NHBC to boost customer confidence.</p> <p>In the report, the chairman of the APPG, Oliver Colville, MP, said: "To many, buying a new …