HC Deb 30 November 1995 vol 267 cc819-20W
Mr. Gordon Prentice

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is the estimated cost to public funds of moving to mandatory land registration within five years. [2246]

Mr. Jonathan Evans

The question concerns a specific matter on which the chief executive of HM Land Registry Executive Agency is best placed to provide the answer. I have accordingly asked the chief executive to reply direct.

Letter from John Manthorpe to Mr. Gordon Prentice, dated 30 November 1995: I have been asked by the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, to reply to your recent question concerning the estimated cost to public funds of moving to mandatory land registration within five years. Land Registration is compulsory on sale throughout England and Wales for all conveyances and transfers of freehold land and all leases for a term of more than 21 years. Over 15.7 million titles are already registered and it is estimated that, under existing legislative provisions, approximately 18 million titles will be registered by the year 2000. If the remaining unregistered titles were to be brought onto the public land register within five years by new, mandatory, compulsory registration provisions there would be no direct cost to public funds as the Land Registry is required to cover all its expenditures from fees paid by those who use its services. However, under existing legislation, public authorities, in their capacity as landowners, would be required to pay fees for registering their titles. In September, a joint report by the Law Commission and the Land Registry (Law Com No 235; Cm 2950) was published which proposes extending the circumstances in which a disposition of unregistered land must be completed by registration, thereby bringing forward the time when all land in England and Wales would be brought onto the public land register. The report also recommends the introduction of a new fee structure to enable reduced fees to be charged to encourage voluntary registration. A draft Bill to give effect to these (and other) recommendations is included in the report and a suitable opportunity is being sought to bring this forward for consideration by Parliament.

Mr. Prentice

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department which countries in the European Union limit the acreage of land to which any one owner may have title. [2245]

Mr. Evans

The question concerns a specific matter on which the chief executive of HM Land Registry Executive Agency is best placed to provide the answer. I have accordingly asked the chief executive to reply direct.

Letter from John Manthorpe to Mr. Gordon Prentice, dated 30 November 1995: I have been asked by the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, to reply to your recent question concerning which countries in the European Union place limitations on the acreage of land that may be held by any one owner. In England and Wales registration of title is the responsibility of Her Majesty's Land Registry. The Land Registration Acts place no such limitation on ownership. Since the repeal by the Charities Act 1960 of the old Mortmain and Charitable Uses Acts, the general law of England and Wales has imposed no such limitation on ownership. 1 am not aware of any restriction elsewhere in the European Union.