The Association of Home Information Pack Providers claims that the Hips system should be kept - albeit with amendments.
Home Information Packs (HIPs) should not be scrapped but instead should be reformed, it has been claimed.
An industry forum involving housing industry professionals, such as mortgage lenders and estate agents, voted in favour of keeping HIPs. The forum was hosted by the Wriglesworth Consultancy on April 20th.
The proposal to amend Hips was backed by the forum panel, which included the Council of Mortgage Lenders director general Michael Coogan and Kate Barker from the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee.
According to the Association of Home Information Pack Providers (AHIPP), the vote sent a message to some of the critics of Hips, including the Conservative party. The shadow housing minister Grant Shapps released a green paper earlier in the month which outlined the Tories' plans to abolish HIPs.
Mike Ockenden, director general of AHIPP, said that he was "delighted" with the "united approach" that the housing industry was taking towards HIPs.
"While I do not deny that further amendments may need to take place before the Hip reaches its full potential, what this week's vote suggests, and what the Tory party should now recognise, is that there is an appetite within the industry to now work together to improve the current offering," he said.
"Hips aren't perfect, but scrapping them entirely would set us back years - instead, lets work with what we have to make improvements and advance the Hip for the advantage of all involved."
