Source: http://www.homemove.co.uk Margaret Beckett delivered a written ministerial statement to the House of Commons on 8 December proposing to extend until 6 April 2009 the existing regulations which allow for a delay in providing a HIP and for transitional insurance cover expiry at the end of December 2008. Representing companies producing property search reports for HIPS, CoPSO maintains that it is in the interests of both consumers and searchers for the government to ensure that councils allow full access to property data. This allows private search companies to deliver a high quality product as quickly as possible, helping to smooth the house buying process. Mervyn Pilley, the chief executive of CoPSO, has warmly welcomed the announcement that the transitional arrangements will be extended until 6 April next year. He considers it a sensible move that will allow local authorities the chance to get their house in order and ensure that private search companies can have full and fair access to data. However, he says it is not a long-term solution. Mervyn Pilley considers that the government now needs to come down hard on those local authorities who are deliberately obstructing access in order to promote their own search products.  He maintains that it is in both the consumer's interest and the interests of CoPSO members to move away from the use of insurance provisions, which remain as an option of last resort. The simplest solution for all involved is for the government to ensure that local authorities provide unfettered access to all, allowing private search companies to help deliver a high quality product as soon as possible to the consumer.