Land Registry set for e-commerce overhaul

E-Conveyancing: National Land Information Service overhaul is premature, says Lord Irvine, but needs watching

The government has given the Land Registry the go-ahead for an eight-point plan aimed at modernising the property transfer system, with electronic conveyancing high on the agenda, it was announced late last year.In his response to the Land Registry's quinquennial review of the current system, the Lord Chancellor, Lord Irvine, revealed that changes will be put in place through the Land Registration Bill, but the government is also looking to strengthen the consultation machinery and improve market transparency.A statistical and publications unit will be set up this year to identify problems and target ways of moving the conveyancing procedure forward.Top of the list, though, is e-conveyancing, with consultation on the Land Registry's model scheduled for release next year, with the aim of rolling it out by 2006.Regarding the National Land Information Service (NLIS), Lord Irvine said: 'NLIS will provide a single point of electronic access to the searches needed during conveyancing.

The reviewer recommended the service be strongly promoted but suggested some changes to how it is managed.

The government regards NLIS as a crucial "building block" in the development of e-government and e-conveyancing and has made 350 million available to help local authorities meet their electronic service delivery target in the 2000 spending review.

'The government considers that an overhaul of the structure of NLIS would be premature but a NLIS stakeholder group is being set up to ensure central government is fully involved.

The structure will be reviewed in summer 2002.'Also on the cards is a bid to bring all unregistered freehold land onto the Land Register, and to encourage voluntary first registration of freehold land.

The government said it will also consider including details about beneficial or true ownership of land on the register.A land registry advisory service and an adjudication service led by a new judicial officer, the Adjudicator to the Land Registry, will also be created.

These provisions will be included in the Land Registry's strategic business plan, expected in spring this year.Lord Irvine said the plans should make the property market more transparent and property transactions faster, cheaper and more efficient.

'These modernisation plans, in particular the development of electronic conveyancing services, will bring major benefits to both homebuyers and businesses in their dealings in land and property,' he added.

Meanwhile, the Law Commission has published advice to the government on e-commerce, covering requirements of the Electronic Commerce Directive and the Electronic Communications Act 2000.

The advice includes reform of the Marine Insurance Act 1906 to include electronic documents, and consideration of how the law should govern multiple e-mail addresses in relation to statutory notices.Paula Rohan