§ Lord Northfieldasked Her Majesty's. Government:
Whether they are aware that the Land Registry Office in Tunbridge Wells is now taking over 50 weeks to deal with applications for registration of land, and to deal with similar documentation; whether they are aware of the inconvenience this causes both to business and to private citizens; and what steps are being taken, as a matter of urgency, to deal with this situation.
§ The Lord Chancellor (Lord Mackay of Clashfern)The average time taken to complete an application for registration at the Tunbridge Wells District Land Registry is 17 weeks compared with the departmental average of 16 weeks.
If a request is made to the individual district registry, priority is given to time-sensitive and urgent applications for registration. In all district land registries new systems of working are being introduced to increase productivity. Additional action at Tunbridge Wells includes the transfer of work to other offices and the recruitment of additional staff.