Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on small and micro businesses of centralising local land charges registers.

A Regulatory Impact Assessment relating to the provision of Local Land Charges has been produced by Land Registry. The Impact Assessment is a living document and continues to be revised in the light of greater stakeholder engagement. This takes into account the potential benefits of a fully digitised service to mitigate the effects of degrading paper and other records, 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 would enable small and micro businesses to streamline their access arrangements.