§ Mr. JannerTo ask the Attorney-General how many people were employed at Her Majesty's Land Registry during each of the past 10 years; how many are now employed by the Land Registry; and whether he has any proposals for increasing staffing of the Land Registry.
§ The Attorney-GeneralStaff in post as at 1 April in each of the last 10 years:
Permanent Casual Total 1988 8,200.0 728.0 8,928.0 1987 7,310.0 608.0 7,918.0 1986 7,029.0 262.5 7,291.5 1985 6,820.5 32.9 7,149.5 1984 6,676.5 316.5 6,993.0 1983 5,818.0 712.5 6,530.5 1982 5,546.5 361.5 5,908.0 1981 5,680.5 3.0 5,683.5 1980 5,898.0 45.0 5,943.0 1979 5,543.0 47.0 5,590.0 1978 5,309.0 42.0 5,351.0 There are current proposals for additional resources to meet the Land Registry's growing commitments, which have nearly trebled over the last 10 years.
§ Mr. JannerTo ask the Attorney-General what was the cost of staffing the Land Registry during the last year for which records are available; what was the total cost of operating the Land Registry during that year; and what was the total in fees received by the Land Registry during that year.
§ The Attorney-GeneralThe provisional memorandum trading account for 1987–88 shows staff costs (including superannuation) of £94.04 million, total costs of £121.14 million and income from fees of £141.07 million.
§ Mr. JannerTo ask the Attorney-General what is the minimum, maximum and average time taken to process an application to the Land Registry to complete a registration.
§ The Attorney-GeneralThe minimum processing time can be as low as one week. Applications so processed include the registration of transactions where the register has already been computerised, expedited applications and many straightforward applications where no points arise. The average time for processing substantive applications at the end of May 1988 was 16 weeks.
No information is available as to the maximum processing time, but many complex applications take some considerable time to process and can be dependent on the ability of applicants to deal satisfactorily with departmental requisitions.
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§ Mr. JannerTo ask the Attorney-General how much profit he estimates was made by the Land Registry during each of the last 10 years for which records are available.
§ The Attorney-GeneralThe surpluses shown in the Land Registry's memorandum trading accounts for the last 10 years are as follows:
£ million 1978–79 5.93 1979–80 8.13 1980–81 1.17 1981–82 6.93 1982–83 12.40 1983–84 10.18 1984–85 20.64 1985–86 16.98 1986–87 26.02 1987–88 19.93 The figures for 1987–88 are, as yet, only provisional.
§ Mr. JannerTo ask the Attorney-General on what basis fees are payable to the Land Registry for the registration of properties assessed.
§ The Attorney-GeneralSection 145 of the Land Registration Act 1925 (as amended) provides for the making of fee orders, under which applications to register conveyances and transfers are charged on an ad valorem basis related to the price or value of the property. Most minor applications are either charged at flat rate or there is no fee. The current fee order is the Land Registration Fee Order 1988.
§ Mr. JannerTo ask the Attorney-General whether he will establish an inquiry into the operation and staffing of Her Majesty's Land Registry; and if he will make a statement.
§ The Attorney-GeneralNo. The National Audit Office has conducted a review of the operations of Her Majesty's Land Registry and the Comptroller and Auditor General reported to Parliament the findings of the review on 28 July 1987. The Committee of Public Accounts has considered the report and the report on its findings is awaited.
§ Mr. JannerTo ask the Attorney-General how long he estimates it takes for applications to the Land Registry to be opened; and how long it takes thereafter for required payments received from applicants to be banked.
§ The Attorney-GeneralApplications to the Land Registry are opened on the day of receipt and cleared funds in respect of the cheques associated with these applications are normally available five working days later.
§ Mr. JannerTo ask the Attorney-General whether he will institute a system whereby interest is paid to applicants on moneys received from them, where registration is not completed within two months of the date when fees paid to the Land Registry have been banked.