Scottish Conservatives will abolish Home Reports

Scottish Conservatives are pledging to abolish Home Reports.

Speaking on a visit to the ESPC in Edinburgh today, David McLetchie, Scottish Conservative Campaign Manager for the 2011 Scottish Parliament election, said:

“In the best of times, Home Reports were an expensive luxury. However in these difficult economic times caused by Labour’s debt legacy and with the housing market struggling to return to where it was a couple of years ago, they are madness.

“Only the Scottish Conservatives opposed their introduction – all the other parties in the Scottish Parliament voted for them. However, the call for a review in the Scottish Lib Dem manifesto is an indication that the tide is turning in light of the evidence.

“Evidence from the Law Society demonstrates that Home Reports have not abolished multiple surveys. Indeed in some cases more surveys are being commissioned now than was previously the case. This evidence demolishes the case for Home Reports.

“We urged the postponement of this scheme before it was rolled out in December 2008 but the SNP Government refused to see sense.

“In May last year, the UK Government took the sensible decision to scrap Home Information Packs in England and Wales. We must now follow suit in Scotland with Home Reports.

“There is no good reason why we should be the only place in the United Kingdom where such costly, and ineffective, reports are required by law. It is common sense to abolish Home Reports and that is what we will do.”