PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Property Searches (9 July 2014)

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the effect of centralising local land charges registers on small and medium-sized enterprises and micro-businesses currently providing such services as local land charges searches.

Asked by:
Mr Toby Perkins (Labour)

A Regulatory Impact Assessment relating to the provision of Local Land Charges has been produced by Land Registry and approved by BIS and the Regulatory Policy Committee.

http://www.landregistry.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/91627/LR_Impact-Assessment_Wider-Powers-and-LLC-Consultation_FINAL.pdf

This takes into account the potential benefits of a fully digitised service with improved turnaround times, greater efficiencies and a lower fee for the customer. The Impact Assessment states that creating a single, digital Local Land Charges register will result in the significant majority of customers, including businesses, paying a lower fee per purchase for a faster service.

Answered by:
Matt Hancock (Conservative)
17 July 2014