HC Deb 18 June 1968 vol 766 cc889-90
15. Mr. Gwilym Roberts

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will initiate a study into the possibilities of constructing a complete local authority register of property ownership with the aim of enabling houses to be bought and sold through the local authority as a simple log-book transaction, thus reducing house-purchase costs.

Mr. MacColl

No, Sir. Investigating the title of every property would involve a great expense and burden of staff. Much of the information is already available in the Land Registry.

Mr. Roberts

Would my hon. Friend accept that, while difficulty might arise in a few cases, 80 per cent. to 90 per cent. of houses bought and sold could be transacted on such a log-book basis? If one can buy an £8,000 Rolls Royce via a log book is there any reason why one should not be able to buy a £4,000 house in the same way?

Mr. MacColl

I am afraid that land attracts historic accretions which motor cars do not. I am sure that the best way to proceed is to push on with compulsory registration of titles.

Mr. Graham Page

Does the hon. Gentleman realise that the inadequacy of the registers at the present time is causing a great increase in the work of conveyancing? As a first step, will he look into the matter of seeing that all proposals and encumbrances on property are registered on one register in one place so that the work of conveyancing could be thereby reduced and the cost possibly reduced?

Mr. MacColl

We will certainly bear in mind what the hon. Gentleman has suggested.

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