It was to be expected, the government has delayed the launch of its controversial new Home Information Packs (HIPs) by two months because of a lack of qualified inspectors.

Ruth Kelly, Communities Secretary, told the Commons that the new home information packs which were due to come into effect on 1st June 2007 will now not be introduced until 1st August 2007, and will initially only be required for those selling properties with more than four bedrooms.

Sellers will also now only be required to have commissioned a pack when they put their property on the market. Previously, all sellers would have been required to present a completed HIP to prospective buyers when they put their property up for sale.

She stressed that the government was still committed to the "swift and smooth introduction" of HIPs, which have been heavily criticised by surveyors, estate agents and opposition politicians.

However, she did admit that at present there were not enough qualified inspectors to carry out energy efficiency inspections of all homes that were put up for sale, leaving the government with little choice but to delay their implementation. An energy performance certificate of every home put on the market was a key component of the proposed new packs.

The decision also follows a legal challenge by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), which cited a lack of industry consultation over the new packs and called for their implementation to be delayed.

For more about Ruth Kelly's announcement on the HIPs Home Information Packs delay click here and for a general overview on HIPs click here.