The Government's latest delay in the introduction of home information packs for all properties and its claim that HIPS is benefitting consumers has brought criticism from agents around the county.

HIPS has been plagued by delays and last-minute changes for the past 12 months and the latest annoucement from housing minister Caroline Flint concerns first day marketing.

Tim Barton of Dreweatt Neate, which has an office in Wantage, said: "From June, every property was supposed to have its HIP ready for the first day it was put on the market but Ms Flint has extended the temporary provision requiring HIPS to be ordered rather than available before marketing can begin.

"Bearing in mind the time it can take for HIPs in some areas to be assembled due to the slow supply of searches with some local and water authorities - a month is not unusual- this is just as well."

Richard Lee, an associate at the Oxford office of Cluttons said that the Government's recent comment that HIPS was benefitting consumers was certainly not the case.

He said: "Many buyers simply are not interested in looking at the HIP. It becomes another cost that the sellers have to pay for without any visible benefit to them."

Mark Charter, residential sales partner of Carter Jonas, Oxford, added: "This delay is inevitable because the Government clearly has not got itself organised to deliver a framework for HIPs that works. In fact, we are sceptical that problems with the system will ever be resolved and fully expect further delays before the year has ended."

However, Hamptons International feels the delay is a sensible decision.

The agency believes that interest rates, falling house prices and stock market uncertainty have all played a fundamental part in current market behaviour, and the introduction of first day marketing would add to this and potentially cause a further reduction in sales activity.