HM LAND REGISTRY

THE E-BUSINESS STRATEGY 2001-2011

CONTENTS:

1. Introduction 2

2. Aim and Objectives 3Aim 3Objectives 3

3. Service Delivery Agreement (SDA) 3

4. Customer-Focused Services 4External Customers 4Internal Customers 5IT Infrastructure 5Electronic Office 5Internet/Intranet 6IT Skills Review 6New Operating System 7Intelligent Land Register 7Wider Market Initiative 7

5. Progress to Date 8

6. Strategy for the Future 9Supporting Government Policies, Strategies and Standards 9Re-engineering Wider National Systems 11Enhancing Existing Systems 12Land Registration Services 13UK Online 16National Land Information Service (NLIS) 17Electronic Conveyancing 17

7 Paying for e-business 19

Annex A 20THE LAND REGISTRY’S STAKEHOLDERS 20

Annex B 21PROGRESS TOWARDS THE PRIME MINISTER’S 2005 TARGETS 21

Annex C 22SUMMARY OF EXPECTED COMPLETION TIMES 22

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HM LAND REGISTRY

THE E-BUSINESS STRATEGY 2001-2011

1. Introduction

1.1 In its White Paper, “Modernising Government” published in March 1999, theGovernment made a commitment to deliver more responsive public servicesthat met the needs of citizens (not the convenience of the service providers) andto use new technology to meet the needs of citizens and businesses. In March2000, the Prime Minister brought forward the original target for the delivery ofall public services electronically from 2008 to 2005.

1.2 The Land Registry has a long history of reviewing and refining its businessactivities and there are a number of initiatives already planned or in place thatare in keeping with the spirit of the White Paper. It views the ModernisingGovernment agenda as an essential enabler to achieve its mission:

“We strive to be recognised as the most professional,efficient and courteous public service organisation in the

United Kingdom.”

1.3 In April 2001, the completed Quinquennial Review of the Land Registry wassubmitted to the Lord Chancellor’s Department. The external reviewer’s report,which runs to almost 400 pages, makes recommendations on the status of theRegistry and on the way its business delivery could be developed and enhancedover the next 10 years. A number of recommendations concentrate onelectronic service delivery.

1.4 The publication of the reviewer’s report was announced in Parliament on 26June and the Land Registry is currently drawing up a 10-year business strategythat will take into account the report’s recommendations.

1.5 This E-Business Strategy Document does not take account of therecommendations in the report because these have yet to be considered byMinisters. However, the reviewer has in many areas endorsed existing policyand these are included in existing plans.

1.6 The Land Registry Board and the Business Development Group have both seenand endorsed this document. Members of these top management bodies act asSenior Responsible Owners for the Land Registry’s e-business programmes andthe various projects which fall within those programmes.

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2. Aim and Objectives2.1 The Land Registry’s e-business strategy is an integral part of its 10 year

strategic plan and is designed to support the organisation’s overall aim andobjectives.

Aim

2.2 Our aim is “to maintain and develop stable and effective land informationsystems for England and Wales.”

Objectives

2.3 To maintain and develop a stable and effective land registration systemthroughout England and Wales as the cornerstone for the creation and freemovement of interests in land.

2.4 On behalf of the Crown to guarantee title to registered estates and interests inland for the whole of England and Wales.

2.5 To provide ready access to up-to-date and guaranteed land information, soenabling confident dealings in property and security of title.

2.6 To provide a Land Charges and Agricultural Credits Service.

3. Service Delivery Agreement (SDA)

3.1 The Land Registry’s SDA targets were agreed with HM Treasury in October2000 before completion of the Quinquennial Review. After consideration byministers some of these targets may be amended.

3.2 Electronic Service Delivery:� 40% of its key services will be delivered electronically by 2001-2002,

including the delivery of pre-completion services such as official searches,office copies, register and title plan views.

� 80% will be delivered by 2002-2003, including any deed referred to on theregister. Information will be available online over the Internet.

� 100% will be delivered by the end of 2003-2004.

3.3 The Land Register� 97% of the Land Register will be converted to computerised format by

2001-2002.� 98% will be converted by 2002-2003.

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� All will be converted by the end of 2003-2004.3.4 Filed deeds referred to on the Land Register

� 39 million pages of filed documents will be scanned by 2001-2002.� 67 million pages will be scanned by 2002-2003.� All pages will be scanned by the end of 2003-2004.

3.5 Electronic Conveyancing� By 2001-2002, land registration information and pre-completion

applications will be delivered online over the Internet.� A new Land Registration Act will be introduced by 2002-2003 to facilitate

electronic conveyancing.� A full trial of a basic e-conveyancing model will take place by 2002-2003.� In association with the Lord Chancellor’s Department, the uptake of

electronic conveyancing will be promoted over a 10-year period so as toreach 20% by the end of 2003-2004.

4. Customer-Focused Services4.1 Despite being a single function department providing a monopoly service, the

Land Registry consciously centres its business strategy on customer needs.Prompt delivery of accurate and inexpensive land registration services to itscustomers is of paramount importance in determining future businessdevelopments.

External Customers

4.2 A majority of the Land Registry’s external customers are professionalrepresentatives of those citizens who are transacting in land or property(conveyancing solicitors, building societies, banks etc). This means that theLand Registry is, to an extent, hidden from the general public. Opportunitiesare therefore taken to advertise and demonstrate the Registry’s services atexhibitions, county shows etc and by holding “open days” at the district landregistries. However, in terms of customer need, it is the professionalrepresentative that the Registry has concentrated on in order to test theeffectiveness and efficiency of its service delivery, to identify where the gapsexist and to take positive action to make improvements.

4.3 Formal customer surveys have been carried out annually since 1989 andsuggested areas for improvement from those surveys built into the Registry’scorporate and business planning processes where it is practical to do so. Theresults from the latest survey show that 99% of respondents were satisfied withthe Registry’s service. Although an excellent result, the Registry is consciousthat it must continue to improve by actively pursuing its programme ofelectronic service delivery.

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4.4 The Land Registry’s external customers also include a number of other publicsector organisations such as:

� Companies House.

� The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs;

� Inland Revenue Stamp Office; and

� The Valuation Office Agency.

4.5 In addition to being included in formal customer surveys, public sectororganisations are also included on the interdepartmental steering groups whichare set up when appropriate to co-ordinate the interests of the various bodies, forexample the interdepartmental steering group on electronic conveyancing (seeparagraph 6.745).

Internal Customers

4.6 The Land Registry currently employs about 7,800 staff, a majority of whomwork at the 24 district offices. It is essential that all staff have the necessarytools to provide an efficient and effective service in the 21st Century and therebyobtain maximum satisfaction from their work.

4.7 Regular staff surveys are carried out to ensure that employees have theopportunity to express their views about all aspects of their working life and thatsuggested improvements are considered and acted upon.

IT Infrastructure

4.8 The Land Registry’s distributed IT infrastructure has been reviewed and themaintenance and future upgrading is being pursued under private sectorpartnership arrangements established under contract awarded to Compaq in July1999. The Land Registry is committed to providing an IT infrastructure that ishigh quality, reliable, secure and scaleable. This ensures that employees haveavailable reliable and modern IT systems which will enhance their servicedelivery.

Electronic Office

4.9 This provides PCs and supporting infrastructure on the basic principle of onePC per member of staff in post. Without this facility, initiatives like e-conveyancing would be difficult to realise. The programme to make all 24district offices fully electronic was completed in July 2001.

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Internet/Intranet

4.10 Following the attainment of GSI accreditation, external e-mail capabilities havebeen provided to appropriate staff. A programme of Internet access via GSI onthe basis of priority business need has also been taken forward.

4.11 An Intranet has been established and its content is being regularly reviewed andupdated.

IT Skills Review

4.12 The Land Registry currently employs approximately 250 staff in its ComputerServices Division based at Plymouth.

4.13 A review, using outside consultants (Logica), was carried out between Marchand May 2000 to assess the IT skills available to the Registry and benchmarkthose skills against similar organisations in the public and private sectors. Theterms of reference were:

� To evaluate the nature and level of resources and skills required to ensurethe timely delivery of the products and services described in the Registry’sInformation and Communications Technology Strategy (ICTS) Report(2000/2005).

� To review the level of IT human resources and skills currently available orplanned and identify any actual or potential shortfalls against requirements.

� To develop strategies that conform with the policies in the ICTS Report forthe provision of required resources throughout and beyond the timescale ofthe ICTS Report. This will include strategies for training, internal re-deployment, inward and outward secondment, recruitment, consultancyadvice and assistance, strategic partnerships and outsourcing.

4.14 In the light of the Quinquennial Review recommendations, further considerationhas been given to the staffing levels necessary to undertake the IT projects anddevelopments set out in the Registry's 10-year strategic business plan. Based onthe ICTS Report, Logica recommended staffing levels in the region of 375.However, to provide adequate IT support for the Registry's future "core"business (including extended opening hours); electronic conveyancing, thedevelopment of the Registry's Intranet and Website and the introduction of anew, Euro-compliant, accounting system, the Land Registry Board hasacknowledged that a Computer Services workforce of approximately 500 wouldnow appear to be required.

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New Operating System

4.15 In June 2001, the Land Registry installed the latest version of the operatingsystem (OS/390 2.10) onto its central mainframe production computer. Thismigration, from version 2.8, involved the customisation and implementation ofchanges to over 50 software products forming the base elements and optionalfeatures of the operating system and associated software products.

4.16 The new operating system has a specific focus on e-business of the typeassociated with the National Land Information Service (NLIS), security andavailability enhancements for e-business applications and for the standardcommunications protocol TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/InternetProtocol). This will enable corporate data to be provided more reliably andsecurely to our external customers. There are also facilities to improve themanagement of the fluctuating workload associated with e-businesstransactions.

4.17 Significantly, it also positions the Land Registry to be able to take advantage ofthe enhanced addressing capability of the latest hardware. From an end-userperspective, this increase in the capacity of processor storage means that moredata will be able to be held within the processor itself, improving efficiency andreducing the need to transfer data between different types of storage. This willreduce the need to access external storage devices and so improve CPUresponse times.

Intelligent Land Register

4.18 The restructuring of register data is a prerequisite to electronic conveyancing, toavoid unnecessary re-keying and the possibility of errors this creates. This willalso facilitate exploitation of the database. A project is underway to investigatethe feasibility of:

� making register data interactive with systems that view, create, amend ordelete it;

� rationalising the duplication of data regarding property, proprietorship andcharge information; and

� making links between data on the register, filed plan and filed deeds.

Wider Market Initiative

4.19 The Land Registry maintains one of the largest databases of land information inthe world and, in accordance with the Government’s Wider Market initiative,

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announced in 1998, has engaged consultancy advice to identify appropriatepotential new areas of business in order to exploit Land Registry data anddiversify activities.

4.20 A full list of customers and stakeholders is at Annex A.

5. Progress to Date5.1 Since the mid-1970s, the Land Registry’s electronic service delivery has been

enhanced through the following activities.

5.2 Compulsory registration on sale of land was seen as an essential first steptowards simplifying and unifying the conveyancing procedure. This wasintroduced in London in 1898 and progressively extended to all areas ofEngland and Wales. The final extension was introduced at the end of 1990along with the opening of the Land Register to public inspection under the LandRegistration Act 1988.

5.3 A Computerised Application Processing System (CAPS) was installed at everydistrict land registry (DLR) during the late 1980s and early 1990s. This markeda major stage in the development of electronic processing of registrations andready access to land information in England and Wales. CAPS continues to bedeveloped in order to provide a more streamlined service to the Registry’scustomers.

5.4 To make CAPS fully effective, almost 13 million manual title registers wereconverted to computerised format, in-house, over a number of years. The LandRegister now comprises 18 million titles, of which 97% are capable ofelectronic delivery.

5.5 These innovations were seen as the first phase in the development of a fullyintegrated Land Register. The second phase, that of scanning 18 million papertitle plans, to enable them to be viewed electronically by staff and by customersusing Land Registry Direct, has now been completed through private sectorpartnership. In a parallel development, and with other private sector partners,the Registry is introducing computer mapping, which enables vectorised mapsto be created for all new title registrations.

5.6 The final phase, the conversion of deeds referred to on the register (involvingthe scanning of approximately 95 million pages) will be completed in 2004.Scanned deeds will be made progressively available online during the course ofthe project.

5.7 The Land Registry offers conveyancers, through eight Telephone ServiceCentres, an online service to obtain details of the current state of any registerand carry out a wide range of related transactions. A significant percentage of

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our customers have told us that delivery of services by telephone is (and islikely to remain) their preferred choice and the Registry believes that effectivetelephone-based services will remain vital for the foreseeable future. A newPC-based client/server system is currently being developed.

5.8 “Land Registry Direct”, a web-based direct access service, was launched in 2000 toprovide customers who hold an account with the Land Registry with access toall computerised registers, plans and, progressively from 2001, deeds referred toon the register, together with other land registration services.

5.9 The National Land Information Service (NLIS) is being developed with localgovernment and private sector partners as a single point of entry for theelectronic delivery of land and property-related information over the Internet. Inthe first instance, this will start to deliver Land Registry and local authority databy Autumn 2001.

5.10 From this brief overview, it can be seen that the Land Registry has anticipatedthe White Paper’s thrust towards electronic government and is well on its wayto achieving the Prime Minister’s 2005 target. Our programme of work isshown at Annex B.

6. Strategy for the Future

6.1 This section provides more detail of the major projects that the Land Registrywill be undertaking to maintain improvements to the services it provides and tocontinue to meet the needs of its external and internal customers. A summary ofexpected completion times of the main activities is shown at Annex C.

Supporting Government Policies, Strategies and Standards

6.2 In developing its services for the future, the Land Registry has been careful totake account of the wider needs of government and to comply with nationalstandards and guidelines.

Modernising Government

6.3 The Land Registry’s e–business strategy takes into account therecommendations from the PIU Report on Electronic Government Services forthe 21st Century. The action points arising from the Report “Successful IT:Modernising Government in Action” are being addressed through a separateproject. It also incorporates its own in-house strategy document “Informationand Communications Technology Strategy 2000/2005” produced in 2000.

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e-Government Interoperability Framework (e-GIF)

6.4 The Land Registry is committed to the introduction and use of the technicalstandards and policies defined within the e-Government InteroperabilityFramework (e-GIF). In the development and delivery of information systems,the Registry adheres to the standards published. For example, the UnifiedModelling Language (UML) is used during system design. The ExtensibleMark-up Language (XML) provides the standard for defining data for exchangewith third parties such as the National Land Information Service (NLIS).Schemas have recently been agreed and these will be published on the Govtalkwebsite.

6.5 The Land Registry has one of the largest image databases in Europe. Theseimages are compressed in the approved .jpg and .tif formats. The Registry hasrecently invested in mainframe software which will allow these images to beprocessed to suit individual customer requirements better, e.g. to incorporatethem into .pdf documents for viewing via Adobe Acrobat or to alter theresolution in order to minimise download time.

6.6 The Land Registry's WAP content is compliant with WAP1.2.1. The service runs on our public Web Server and provides a text only view of selected datafrom our primary Website. The Land Registry does not currently operate itsown WAP gateway to deliver services but relies on the gateway servicesprovided by end users’ network service providers over which the Land Registryhas no control. Any future enhancements to take account of current and futuremobile network infrastructure changes, such as General Packet Radio Service(GPRS) and Universal Mobile Telephone Service (UMTS), will be compliantwith the specification current at that time.

Electronic Records Management

6.7 Over 90% of all Land Registry records (ie the Register of Title, filed plans andassociated documents) are already in electronic format and are available in“real time” to staff and external customers.

6.8 The Land Registry recognises that an effective system of electronic recordsmanagement (ERM) is a vital prerequisite to effective electronic servicedelivery. ERM is essential to support the concept of the electronic office(paragraph 4.9 above) and to meet the Registry’s statutory obligations,especially those flowing from the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

6.9 In order to meet the Government’s 2004 target, the Land Registry has set up aseparate project, under the responsibility of the Director of Facilities andDirector of IT, with the aim of establishing an ERM system to enable the LandRegistry’s records to be stored and retrieved electronically thus ending the

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dependency on paper files. A project initiation document has been prepared.The system will facilitate responses to any request made under the Freedom ofInformation Act.

6.10 The Public Record Office “Model Action Plan” for developing recordsmanagement compliant with the Lord Chancellor’s Code of Practice will play apivotal role in the project’s progress.

The Government Gateway

6.11 It is also our intention to ensure that all electronic services introduced for theuse of the citizen will be made available via the Government Gatewaywherever practicable.

Programme and Project Management

6.12 At present, the Land Registry is running more than two dozen projects dealingwith the electronic delivery of services. All Registry projects are structuredand managed using PRINCE 2 methodology. In all cases, project approval(including budget approval) is given either by the Business DevelopmentGroup or the Land Registry Board. All projects are assigned to programmesthat have a Senior Responsible Owner at Board level.

Corporate Governance

6.13 The Land Registry Board has embraced the Turnbull Report on corporategovernance and accepts the need to adopt a risk-based approach to establishingan effective system of internal control. A project has been set up to researchand develop a structured approach to risk management in the Land Registry.

Re-engineering Wider National Systems

6.14 As electronic communication becomes the norm throughout business,commerce and the public services, the Land Registry will have the opportunityto lead real and lasting improvements to the house buying process. Apaperless, electronic system of conveyancing is very likely to mean that theprocess of registration will be integrated with the house buying system itself.The enhanced role envisaged for the Land Registry will enable it to make a realcontribution to reducing or removing the shortcomings in the presentconveyancing system, which can cause so much trauma for ordinary propertyowning citizens.

6.15 Subject to the Lord Chancellor’s approval, the ultimate objective of theElectronic Conveyancing Programme will be to use the opportunities providedby the new technologies to re-engineer the wider national systems for property

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transactions – in particular the buying, selling and registration of land andproperty, for the benefit of all involved in such transactions.

6.16 It is envisaged that this re-engineered system will include the followinginnovative features:� Online validation of all relevant property data between private practitioners

and Central and local government data sources.� Transparent conveyancing chains – joining-up all the parties to the network

of transactions in the chain.� Removal of paper from the conveyancing process – by introducing

electronic certificates and deeds; and� The use of Digital Signatures and PKI with potential availability down to

the citizen level.� Simultaneous electronic exchange of contracts and completion;� Instantaneous electronic settlement of payments due between all the parties

concerned in property transactions, especially at completion, utilising real-time Electronic Funds Transfer.

� Simultaneous land registration on completion

Enhancing Existing Systems

6.17 The Land Registry’s information systems will be enhanced progressively sothat by the end of 2005 they will provide the following:

� The means for uninterrupted electronic access to registers, filed plans andother data by both business customers and citizens, world wide, 24 hours aday, seven days a week if the demand is established.

� A user-friendly vector polygon structured electronic index map (seeparagraph 6.19) providing a graphical means of access to registered titleinformation.

� Facilities allowing the main types of application concerning registered landto be delivered electronically.

� Electronic lodgement of Land Registry applications, as a forerunner toelectronic conveyancing, recommended in the report “Land Registration forthe Twenty-First Century” published jointly by the Law Commission andthe Land Registry in July 2001. This programme will introduce, over thenext ten years, a radical overhaul of England and Wales’ conveyancingprocess in which the Land Registry will play an integral part at an earlierstage than at present.

� Links to NLIS, providing a single point of entry for the user and allowingthe Land Registry’s information services to be integrated with those of other

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data providers through the adoption of the National Land and PropertyGazetteer.

� Electronic receipt of customer payments.

� “Combined operations” facilities throughout the Registry allowing staff todeal with both the plans and legal elements of casework.

� Electronic messaging and web browser facilities via the Internet, theGovernment Secure Intranet and the Land Registry’s own Intranet to a levelthat matches all business needs.

� Modern client/server versions of the entire CAPS facilities.

� Centralised production of all official copies of the Register of Title and TitlePlan.

� Up to date facilities for processing Land Charges applications dealing withunregistered land.

� Euro-compliant financial systems.

� Transparent access to the latest version of Ordnance Survey’s map base byLand Registry staff.

� If possible, and in partnership with the Court Service, direct links to andfrom the Courts for the exchange of data for bankruptcy processing andenquiries.

� Development of touch-screen kiosk services, if these prove feasible, inpartnership with other departments and agencies of the Lord Chancellor.

6.18 The main e-business programmes and projects are as follows:

Land Registration Services

Vectorisation of the Index Map

6.19 The objective of this project is to create polygons for every registration existingon the paper Index Map of England and Wales and to link those polygons withthe Computerised Property Description Database and Land Registry PropertyGazetteer. This will create a vector Index Map that can be accessed by all usersof the Registry’s Mapping System and external customers via LR Direct andNLIS.

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6.20 A successful pilot project at the Weymouth District Land Registry has beenfollowed by full implementation at other offices from August 2001.Completion is due in March 2004. The project is being funded fromaccumulated reserves as agreed with the Treasury.

Real Time Priority

6.21 This project is a cornerstone for e-conveyancing, simplifying the rulesregarding the delivery and priority of applications.

6.22 On 29 May 2001, the Land Registry extended “real time priority” to allsubstantive applications and official searches, ie they take their priority fromthe time and date each application or search is logged onto the Registry’s DayList. Previously, all substantive applications were deemed to be deliveredimmediately after 0930 hours and all paper and fax searches immediatelybefore 0930 hours. This change is a vital step on the road to electronicconveyancing.

6.23 Where it is not possible to protect an interest with a priority official search,applicants will now be able to make an outline application and lodge thedocumentation later. Outline applications can only be made orally orelectronically. The application will have real time priority from Day 1 oncondition that the district office receives a paper application by midday on Day4 that quotes the outline application reference.

6.24 From February 2002, we are planning for simple applications receivedelectronically and which require no supporting deeds, such as the notificationof death of a joint proprietor, to enjoy real time priority.

Electronic Notification of Discharge (ENDS)

6.25 ENDS is a new service which enables lenders to notify the Land Registryelectronically of a discharged charge thus speeding up the house buyingtransaction. By the end of 2002 we anticipate moving to fully electronicdischarges, where staff at a lender’s office will give an electronic instructiondirectly to the Land Registry’s computer to cancel the relevant entries, withoutthe need for Land Registry staff to be involved.

Dematerialisation

6.26 The Land Registry has introduced an important contribution to paperlesstransactions. Dematerialisation is the procedure that enables mortgage lendersto forego the receipt of a charge certificate following the registration of theirmortgage. The certificate ostensibly is retained in the Land Registry onpermanent deposit. In fact, it exists only in electronic form that can be createdas a hard copy if required. This has stimulated widespread interest in the

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secured lending industry and offers a very considerable reduction in storagecosts for major lenders.

6.27 The Land Registry is looking to extend this service to Land Certificates, whichwill reduce costs to homeowners.

E- Lodgement (Electronic Delivery of Applications)

6.28 This facility is being developed for LR Direct customers in which the LandRegistry will accept a conveyancer’s certificate in lieu of receipt of asupporting deed or document. In the first phase, to be introduced in February2002, simple applications such as changes of name or address can be lodged. Inthe second phase, due to be launched in the Summer of 2002, applications, suchas cautions and restrictions will be added. Other non-dispositionaryapplications, electronic discharges and charges will be launched in the e-conveyancing programme by the end of 2002.

Electronic Receipt of Payments

6.29 The Land Registry aims gradually to replace customer payment by cash orcheque with payment by electronic means. The facility to make payment bycredit card is already available for certain Land Registry services. Plans are inplace to offer credit account holders the option to settle their accounts byBACS. Consideration is being given to providing customers who currentlymake postal applications with a cheque payment the ability to pay by creditcard.

6.30 The Land Registry’s Business Development Group has recently approved asoftware supplier for a new departmental accounting system. Planning for theproject has commenced with the new system being rolled out in phases over thenext 18 months with the help of an implementation partner.

6.31 Finance Division will be able radically to change and enhance the process ofdelivering financial information. Leading-edge software will allow for onlineinput and delivery of information, access to data for monitoring, control andfinancial modelling purposes.

6.32 The new Agency Accounting System is set to play a key role in ensuring theAgency’s financial control systems are fully supportive of the developing e-business initiatives and can offer staff and external customers the self-servefunctionality that is a key feature of the e-business world.

LR Direct

6.33 The Land Registry’s electronic services capability was considerably increasedwhen Land Registry Direct, a web browser version of its award winning Direct

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Access Service was launched in June 2000. LR Direct allows electronicdelivery of certain applications, online ordering of other services and onlineviewing of some 18 million computerised land registers and title plans.

6.34 Currently 3,600 customers (with more than 12,000 individual user IDs) use thefacility. Even though a large number of online applications are free of chargeand the average fee per transaction is only £1.77, the service generatesapproximately £500,000 of income each month. Additional services which willbe made available progressively through LR Direct include instant (real time)priority on all types of applications; viewing of deeds referred to on theregister; Land Charges registers and online Land Charges search results.

UK Online

Website

6.35 The Land Registry’s website was established in 1997 and has received aNational Audit Office commendation. The website provides information aboutthe services available, where and how those services can be obtained,information leaflets and application forms. Residential Property Price Reports,Business Plans and Annual Reports are available online. A fees “calculator” isincluded to assist customers in determining the correct fee for the servicerequired.

6.36 At present, application forms can be completed online but have to be printedout by the customer and posted to the district office. Work is underway toenable customers to complete these interactive forms and return themelectronically. The Land Registry website is constantly reviewed to ensure thatit meets the required Government standards.

6.37 The Land Registry intends to make this a transactional site by the end of 2001by making Property Price Reports available with payment by credit or debitcard. By 2002, the Land Registry also intends to make the Land Registeravailable to view online.

Information Asset Register

6.38 The Registry met the HMSO target for establishing its Information AssetRegister on its website and linked to the central Register, Inforoute .

Wireless Application Protocol (WAP)

6.39 The Land Registry’s website was one of the first government sites to be WAPenabled. Using their mobile ‘phones, visitors to the site can:

� obtain residential property price data down to postcode sector level

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� obtain contact details for each district office� find out which areas each district office deals with� calculate Land Registry fees for most standard applications.

Kiosks

6.40 The Land Registry is working with the Court Service to provide informationonline via touch-screen kiosks in libraries and Citizen’s Advice Bureaux.

Life Episodes

6.41 Of the nine Life Episodes available on the Online Citizen Portal in September2001, the Land Registry will contribute mostly towards that covering “Movinghome”. It will also have an input into the “Death and bereavement” LifeEpisode (registration of death of a proprietor of land) and the “Pensions andretirement” Life Episode (redemption of mortgage and subsequent issue of theland certificate). Discussions are taking place with the E-Envoy’s office aboutthe Land Registry’s involvement in these episodes.

National Land Information Service (NLIS)

6.42 One of the problems that conveyancers face is having to go to a number ofdifferent organisations to obtain property information. NLIS will provide asingle point of entry for that information and any organisation with a property-related dataset will be able to make that available through the common mediumof the National Land and Property Gazetteer. NLIS is an excellent example of“joined-up government”

6.43 NLIS launched a pilot service in February 2001 and its full commercial servicewill be available progressively from Autumn 2001.

Electronic Conveyancing

6.44 The electronic conveyancing programme will introduce, over the next five toten years, a radical overhaul of the conveyancing process in England and Wales.The opportunity which technology provides will be used to re-engineer theprocess with the overall aims of:

� linking conveyancing and registration processes more closely;

� reducing the time taken between “handshake” and “completion”

� reducing transaction costs to conveyancers and therefore to the citizen; and

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� removing some of the anxiety and uncertainty experienced by citizensengaged in land and property transactions.

6.45 A high level steering group has been set up to ensure that the work on the LandRegistration Bill (see paragraph 6.48 below), e-conveyancing and the widerrecommendations of the Land Registry’s quinquennial review are movedforward smoothly in the same direction, and to identify and resolve any inter-departmental issues arising. The group is chaired by LCD and includesrepresentatives from HMLR, DTI, DTLR, VOA (representing VOA and InlandRevenue) and the Office of the eEnvoy.

6.46 HM Land Registry is playing a leading role. A dedicated task force has beenset up to develop and deliver an e-conveyancing system and to ensure cohesionacross all aspects of business activities.

6.47 Key features of the re-engineered system:

� Paperless – the main focus will be on removing the paper deeds anddocuments that pass between solicitors, lenders and HMLR in favour ofelectronic equivalents.

� Simultaneous “completion” and “registration” – This will be achieved bybuilding the new Register at the same time as key documents such as theContract, Transfer and Charge are drafted.

� Direct Access to the Register of Title – The facility for licensed practitionersto effect changes to the Register of Title direct using electronic documents.This will obviate the need for processing by HMLR for a large number oftransactions.

� Electronic Funds Transfer – The system will facilitate automatic,simultaneous settlements to take place at “completion/registration” betweensellers, buyers, lenders, IR and the Registry. The calculation of fees andStamp Duty will be an integral part of the system.

Enabling Legislation

6.48 The Land Registration Bill has been introduced into the House of Lords. It isintended to replace the Land Registration Act 1925 and is largely based on theproposals contained in a joint Law Commission and HMLR report “LandRegistration for the Twenty-first Century”, published in July 2001. The Billpaves the way for the Land Registry to receive documents and applicationselectronically and, if appropriate, to require use of an electronic conveyancingnetwork.

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6.49 The provisions of the Bill relating to the authorisation of electronicconveyancing documents were anticipated by a consultation paper on a draftOrder under Section 8 of the Electronic Communications Act 2000 was issuedon 16 March 2001 with a closing date for responses of 15 June. The Orderwould improve the conveyancing process by permitting the creation ofelectronic conveyancing documents such as Contracts, Transfers, Leases andMortgages. It will also establish a new legal framework in which electronicconveyancing documents will have the same effect as their paper equivalents.

6.50 Permission to enable Stamp Duty to be collected from the electronic documentswould be a matter for future legislation.

7 Paying for e-business

7.7 The Land Registry has been a self-financing government department since itscreation in 1862. It achieved trading fund status in 1993. Businessdevelopment is therefore funded mainly from fees paid by LR customers.Agreement was reached with the Treasury in 2000 for some of the Registry'saccumulated reserves to be used to fund the major project concerned withvectorising the Public Index Map (see paragraph 6.19).

7.8 The Land Registry is eligible to apply for Capital Modernisation Funds andInvest to Save Budget Funds. ISB funding was received in the financial years1999-2000 and 2000-2001 to accelerate progress of NLIS. Further funding willbe sought for e-conveyancing and an expression of interest has been submittedto HM Treasury.

7.9 Despite major investment in service delivery, the Land Registry has been ableto reduce fees by 40.6% since becoming a trading fund in 1993.

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Annex A

THE LAND REGISTRY’S STAKEHOLDERS

Our staff and their representatives:

DTUS

LR management

Our customers and their agents:

The general public

Independent Complaints Reviewer

Lawyers

Licensed conveyancers

Banks

Building societies

Estate agents

Chartered surveyors

UK and foreign companies

Moneylenders

Government departments

Central Departments:

HM Treasury

Cabinet Office

Lord Chancellor’s Department

Home Office

Foreign & Commonwealth Office

DEFRA

The Crown

Public/Private Sector Partners

HM Government:

Lord Chancellor

Parliamentary Secretaries at LCD

Members of Parliament

Security Services

Local Authorities

The Judiciary

Service Suppliers

Goods suppliers

Professional Bodies

Other Public Institutions

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Annex B

ELECTRONIC GOVERNMENT:PROGRESS TOWARDS THE PRIME MINISTER’S 2005 TARGETS

Commitment Category/Commitment Enabled Now Enabled2002

Enabled 2005

1. Deliver pre-completion landregistration services tobusiness customers.

Deliver pre-completion landregistration services tobusiness customers.

� � �

2. Deliver title plans and any deedreferred to on the register tobusiness customers.

Deliver title plans and anydeed referred to on the registerto business customers.

� � �

3. Deliver land informationservices to citizens.

Deliver land informationservices to citizens.

� � �

4. Deliver post-completion landregistration services to businesscustomers and citizens.

Deliver post-completion landregistration services tobusiness customers andcitizens.

� � �

5. Provide online land registrationand local authority searches andinformation via an Internet basedone-stop shop.

Provide online landregistration and local authoritysearches and information viaan Internet based one-stopshop.

� � �

Totals Total Number ofCategories/Commitments = 5

No of EnabledCategories = 1ESD Capability= 20%

No ofEnabledCategories =4ESDCapability =80%

No of EnabledCategories = 5ESDCapability =100%

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Annex CSUMMARY OF EXPECTED COMPLETION TIMES

Activity 2000/01 2001/02 2002/03 2003/04 2004/05NLISNational launchAward of licence for provision of HubAward of licences for channel provisionIntroduction of Service across Englandand Wales

(July 2000)(July 2000)

October 2001

IT Skills ReviewConsultant’s Report to BoardImplementation of acceptedrecommendations

�(June 2000) �

Real Time PriorityFor all applications received �(May 2001)Vectorisation of the Index MapProject completion �

Electronic ConveyancingModel BuildConsultationFull System Design & BuildImplementation (start roll-out)

July 2001Aug 2002

April 2005May 2005

ENDSElectronic notification of discharge ofmortgagesElectronic discharge of Charges

�

�

DematerialisationElectronic delivery of dematerialisedLand and Charge certificates �(Charge) �(Land)LR DirectLaunchCustomers’ credit accounts to be debitedelectronically as each transaction iscompleted

�(June 2000)

�

Electronic Receipt of PaymentsElectronic payment by credit card �

WebsiteAvailability of registration of title, titleplans and deeds referred to on theregister

�

Information Asset RegisterWebsite establishedLink with Inforoute established

�

�

Wireless Application ProtocolWebsite enabled �

Wider Market InitiativeConsultant’s Report to BoardRecommendations implemented

� (December2000)

Contribution to “Life Episodes”� �

Computer MappingProject � � (complete)Scanning of Title PlansProject �

Scanning of Filed DeedsProject � � (complete)