§ Lord Filkin:Since the publication of the e-conveyancing consultation report last year, Land Registry has continued to work closely with stakeholders, including potential service providers, to determine the structure of e-conveyancing services in England and Wales.
My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Mr David Lammy) has recently approved a report by Land Registry on its recommended way forward and copies of a document entitled Defining the Service have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses. While this document describes the e-conveyancing services to be delivered, it should be noted that these are the subject of ongoing consultation with stakeholders and may be subject to 77WS future revision. The e-conveyancing service will comprise three main components:
A central e-conveyancing service controlled by Land Registry;
An accompanying electronic funds transfer service to be supplied by an agent bank (or banks); and
Service delivery channels provided largely by the private sector, but including a Land Registry channel.
The proposed structure has been agreed by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State who has 78WS asked Land Registry to continue work to develop these three services. In the design and build of the central e-conveyancing service and the Land Registry channel, the department will procure the assistance of an IT strategic supplier.
Land Registry will procure an agent bank (or banks) to support the electronic funds transfer service.
Land Registry will consider the options for the future fee structure for its e-conveyancing and paper services and report back to my honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Mr David Lammy) on this by the end of 2004.