HC Deb 27 January 2000 vol 343 cc272-3W
Mr. Kidney

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what are the terms of reference of the pilot scheme in Bristol for testing the Government's proposals for speeding up the system of buying and selling homes in England and Wales; and what will be the cost to public funds of the pilot scheme. [107261]

Mr. Mullin

The Government announced on 11 October 1999 a package of complementary measures aimed at making the home buying and selling process in England and Wales faster, more transparent and consumer-friendly. The announcement also highlighted the Government's intention to set up a study to pilot some aspects of the seller's information pack with approximately 250 home sellers in the Bristol area, covering properties in different price bands and in popular and less-popular local housing markets.

The pilot was launched on 10 December 1999, and will run for the first half of 2000, reporting in September 2000. The results will help provide a clear picture of the practical operation of a modernised system of home buying and selling. However, the pilot cannot entirely replicate the Government's proposals: there is no element of compulsion; transactions may still experience delays especially where there are chains involving people not in the scheme; and voluntary elements of the Government's proposals are not included, for example faster mortgage processing, and faster release of title deeds.

Terms of Reference

  1. 1. To identify which elements of the pack work best, and where the practical difficulties lie, including consumer and professional attitudes to the home condition report, and the legal material required for the pack.
  2. 2. To provide clear information on the difference that a seller's pack makes to the process of buying and selling, including, where possible, whether packs help to avoid problems and delays, which occur under the present system.
  3. 3. To assess the potential housing market effects of seller's packs and the benefits of packs for properties in different price bands.
  4. 4. To compare the results of the Bristol pilot with existing initiatives which are being taken forward on a voluntary basis.

Cost to Public Funds Total cost: £315,015.