The Government has put forward a cheap argument that the new house grant was simply absorbed by builders and went as far as to say that the grants contributed to increasing house prices. Rather, retaining housing grants ensures houses are built to a high standard, especially for new owners who may not be up to date with the building regulation standards. I was told this morning that the Department's inspector sent a builder back three times to rectify faults on a certain house before the grants were paid. Will the cowboy builders we had be allowed to creep back into the system?