Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of (a) reducing and (b) abolishing the (i) £7 fee for obtaining title information and (ii) other leaseholder fees charged by HM Land Registry to leaseholders.

In line with my letter of 4 February 2025 to the HM Land Registry (HMLR) Board Chair, which can be found on gov.uk here, I would like to see HMLR fees support government objectives for investing in the accessibility and value of data, increasing the ease of doing business in the property market and providing a simple and efficient customer experience.

In addition I would like HMLR to prioritise free access to data, in particular minimising the cost of information services wherever possible.

HMLR is reviewing how its fees can be made simpler, fairer and enable better access to data it holds.