HC Deb 18 February 1969 vol 778 cc180-1
1. Mr. Gwilym Roberts

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will take steps to establish in each local authority area approved conveyancing clerks appointed by the local authority to carry out the conveyancing associated with house purchase, in order to reduce the legal costs associated with house purchase and sale.

The Joint Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Housing and Local Government (Mr. James MacColl)

I would not think it right in present circumstances to encourage local authorities to increase their staff and expenditure for this purpose.

Mr. Roberts

Would not my hon. Friend accept, however, that there is an urgent need to reduce the legal costs of house purchase, and that the present hocus-pocus associated with this seems largely to be run to keep solicitors in business? Would not my hon. Friend agree that 90 per cent. of houses could properly be bought and sold with a simple log book, as is the case with a car?

Mr. MacColl

I think that that would go rather beyond my responsibility at the Ministry.

Mr. Graham Page

Will the hon. Gentleman urge his right hon. and noble Friend the Lord Chancellor to bring in reforms to get rid of what the hon. Member for Bedfordshire, South (Mr. Gwilym Roberts) called the hocus-pocus in the law of property, and thereby reduce the cost of conveyancing?

Mr. MacColl

I think that my right hon. and noble Friend hopes very soon to introduce compulsory registration to widen it.

2. Mr. Gwilym Roberts

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will take steps to establish a computer network providing classified lists and details of houses for sale available to prospective house purchasers at the offices of each major local authority and covering every other major local authority in England and Wales brought up to date at frequent intervals, in order to reduce the cost of purchase and sale.

Mr. MacColl

No, Sir. I would not regard public expenditure on this as justifiable in present circumstances.

Mr. Roberts

Does not my hon. Friend accept that this would be a natural development of Giro, and that this could provide a much more detailed and comprehensive nationwide system of house purchase which would be far more effective than the present estate agent system? The result would be a financial gain to both the buyer and seller in terms of the present cut taken by the estate agent.

Mr. MacColl

My information is that some companies which have experimented in this field have had disappointing results.

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