Commons Amendment (Hansard, 21 October 1969)

§ THE LORD CHANCELLOR

My Lords, I beg to move that this House doth agree with the Commons in their Amendment No. 15. This simply consists of leaving out the word "may" and inserting the word "shall ". It really takes away discretion from the Chief Land Registrar. The Amendment requires him to award a reasonable sum in respect of costs to any successful applicant for indemnity for loss resulting from the closure of a Deeds Registry. By substituting "shall" for "may" the Amendment removes the Chief Land Registrar's discretion in the matter. The Amendment brings Clause 19 into line with the parallel provision in Clause 23 (4), itself the subject of a drafting Amendment; namely, No. 16, which obliges the Chief Land Registrar when paying compensation for losses due to undisclosed land charges to include an amount in respect of the costs incurred by the claimant in making the claim. My Lords, I beg to move.