§ Sir Hector MonroTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement about the targets he expects the Registers of Scotland executive agency to achieve in the three-year period 1996 to 1999. [24808]
159W
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonI have set the Registers of Scotland the following key targets for 1996–99
to reduce progressively the turnround time for sasine writs from 33 days at 31 March 1996 to 25 days by 31 March 1999;to reduce progressively the turnround time for dealings with whole on the land register. from 55 days at 31 March 1996 to 25 days 31 March 1999;to reduce unit costs in real terms by 4 per cent. against the 1995–96 target for sasine writs and 16 per cent. against the 1995–96 target for dealings with whole by 31 March 1997;to continue the land register extension programme and achieve the transfer of the counties of Ayr and Dumfries to the land register on 1 April 1977 and Perth, Angus and Kinross on 1 April 1998;for the trading fund to achieve a return of 6 per cent. on net capital employed over a three year period;to complete the conversion of existing land register counties to a digitised map and computer-based text system by 1 April 1997;to complete a full assessment of developing electronic, on-line access to the agencies databases by autumn 1996 and of the potential for linkages with other property and land databases held in Scotland; andto maintain at least 97 per cent. of customers expressing satisfaction with the quality of work and helpfulness of staff for all parts of the business.