HC Deb 08 July 1992 vol 211 cc265-6W
Mr. Bill Walker

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what targets have been set for the Registers of Scotland executive agency for 1992–93.

Mr. Lang

When the agency was launched in April 1990, my predecessor set its performance targets for its first three years. These were announced in a written answer to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Eastwood (Mr. Stewart) on 5 April 1990,Official Report, column 829.

The targets are revised annually, and the annual targets for 1992–93, which I have recently approved, are to reduce average turnround times on the agency's four main categories of work as follows:

  1. (i) for recording writs on the sasine register, a reduction to 10 weeks;
  2. (ii) for registration of dealings in the land register, a reduction to 16 weeks;
  3. (iii) for first registrations in the land register, a reduction to 37 weeks; and
  4. (iv) for registration in the land register of transfers of parts of previously registered interests, a reduction to 68 weeks.

The agency was also set a target of achieving a reduction in unit costs of at least 5 per cent. in real terms

Table 1
Gross expenditure on regional financial assistance to industry in Scotland at current prices1 2
£ million
1984–853 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92
Travel-to-work-areas
Alloa 0.5 0.6 0.3 0.6 0.4 0.7 0.4 0.6
Arbroath 0.1 0.4 0.8 0.6 0.7 1.3 1.0 1.2
Ayr 0.2 1.6 2.1 3.1 1.7 1.2 2.9 3.0
Bathgate 1.6 5.1 5.9 5.6 9.7 14.6 18.0 13.2
Campbeltown — — — — — — — —
Cumnock and Sanquhar 0.1 0.3 0.5 1.3 1.1 1.1 0.4 0.3
Dumbarton 0.1 0.6 1.3 0.7 1.3 0.5 0.6 0.8
Dundee 1.4 2.5 5.4 5.3 5.5 4.6 8.6 4.0
Dunfermline 0.1 1.0 1.3 1.4 0.7 1.3 1.7 0.8
Dunoon and Bute — — — — — — — —
Falkirk 0.3 1.4 0.3 0.5 1.0 3.1 2.1 2.3
Forres — — — — — — — —
Girvan — — 0.2 0.5 0.4 0.4 0.4 —
Glasgow 5.7 19.1 27.9 29.3 32.4 36.7 31.8 25.0
Greenock 0.3 3.9 1.6 5.2 5.1 3.7 13.1 5.0
Invergordon and Dingwall 0.3 0.3 0.3 — — — — —
Irvine 1.6 8.3 8.1 9.8 11.6 7.5 7.5 5.5
Kilmarnock — 0.6 1.3 2.2 1.8 1.8 2.0 0.6
Kirkcaldy 0.9 3.8 4.7 4.6 2.9 2.9 4.2 2.3
Lanarkshire 1.6 5.3 8.0 8.9 9.9 9.3 7.4 7.7
Lochaber — — — — 0.2 0.2 — —
Newton Stewart — — — — — — — —
1 Excludes original regional development grant.
2 Actual cash expenditure incurred.
3 From 29 November 1984.

for each of its main categories of work during 1992–93. In addition, the agency will continue to ensure that its expenditure is covered by fees and other income.

The agency's chief executive, the keeper of the registers, is accountable to me for the achievement of these targets. and the agency's record of performance against its targets is reported in the keeper's annual report.