Question

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.

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.