Policy Announcements, Friday 17 August

Government  

• The government has said it will extend its Home Information Pack scheme (Hips) to cover three-bedroom homes in England and Wales from 10 September 2007. Hips are intended to speed up house sales, but critics say it makes the process expensive and bureaucratic. They were introduced on 1 August for four-bedroom homes and contain title deeds, local searches and an energy performance certificate (EPCs). Hips packs cost the seller about £400 and take roughly five days to compile.  
• Plans to boost the number of recycling bins placed next to public litter bins have been proposed by the government. The voluntary initiative, covering England, would target locations such as streets, car parks, shopping centres and entertainment venues. The scheme is aimed at increasing the amount of recycling people do when they are not at home. Local authorities have backed the idea but question whether it would work without additional funding.  
• Care Services Minister Ivan Lewis today announced the opening of a £73m Social enterprise Investment Fund for health and social care. Applications for the money can now start, to set up and build social enterprises that meet specific needs and provide services that will benefit local communities.