Land Registry - Publication Scheme

Last updated: 28/02/2013

7 Classes of Information

Introduction

Land Registry's Publication Scheme describes what information we make available or plan to make available. You can obtain information and publications by:

— downloading them from our website.
References in the scheme to 'Website' means the main Land Registry website http://www.landregistry.gov.uk/. Some of the documents on the website are only available to download as PDF files. To access them you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer. Exceptions include the Land Registry application forms, which are normally available as MS Word documents, as well as PDF files.

— downloading them from a third party website.
Reference in the scheme to any other website includes the full website address of that site. We take no responsibility for the content of the websites of third parties.

— purchasing them from a listed supplier (for example, The Stationery Office)

— having them supplied by us within 20 working days on written request.

On 29 November Land Registry, together with Ordnance Survey, Met Office and Companies House, became one of the four founder members of the Public Data Group (PDG) of Trading Funds. As part of its commitment to the Government’s growth and transparency agenda, Land Registry will be releasing detailed market trend data free of charge via a new dedicated webpage. The housing market forms a key component of economic growth which is why Land Registry will be releasing the residential property sales and transaction information free of charge, helping the market to be better informed about trends in price and volume.

Charges – For the most part, we will charge you only for hard copies or copying onto media (e.g. CD-ROM). Where charges apply we will charge for copying, printing and postage. If these costs are under £10 then we will look to supply the document or information free of charge. This does not apply to documents supplied under our statutory services, which are subject to fees under our current fee order. (See below.)

We will charge:

Copying
10p per A4 page.
20p per A3 page.
On to a CD £1.00

Postage
Postal costs will be based on current Royal Mail charges.
N.B. Where we charge for information that is provided in accordance with Land Registry’s publication scheme, the charges attract VAT.

References in the scheme to 'Request' means a request for information made in writing to the: Publication Scheme Officer, Land Registry, Trafalgar House, 1 Bedford Park, Croydon, CR0 2AQ.
Email: publication.scheme@landregistry.gsi.gov.uk

Copyright
The information contained in the publication scheme is protected by the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. You are free to use it for your own purposes, including any non-commercial research you are doing and for the purposes of news reporting. Any other reuse, for example commercial publication, would require the permission of the copyright holder. Most documents supplied by the Land Registry will have been produced by government officials and will be Crown copyright. For further information on Crown copyright policy and licensing arrangements generally see the guidance appearing on the Office of Public Sector Information's (formerly HMSO) Website at www.legislation.gov.uk.

Information you receive which is not subject to Crown Copyright continues to be protected by the copyright of the person, or organisation, from which the information originated. You must ensure that you gain their permission before reproducing any third party (non Crown Copyright) information. For information about obtaining permission from a third party see the Intellectual Property Office’s website at www.ipo.gov.uk.

To contact the Land Registry about copyright please email
The copyright team - copyright@landregistry.gov.uk

We are committed to delivering an open and transparent service whenever possible and it is our intention to publish information in our Publication Scheme that the public has an interest in viewing. However, please note that the release of certain information would prejudice our ability to detect or prevent crime and in the public interest will not be disclosed. In this respect the Land Registry will, where appropriate, apply reasonable consideration of the exemptions afforded under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

We have 7 classes of Information. These are:

1. Who we are and what we do
2. What we spend and how we spend it
3. What are our priorities and how are we doing
4. How we make decisions
5. Our policies and procedures
6. Lists and Registers
7. The services we offer

The 7 Classes of our Publication Scheme

1. Who we are and what we do

Land Registry was created as a separate government department in 1862 and became an executive agency on 2 July 1990 and a trading fund on 1April 1993. Malcolm Dawson is currently the Chief Land Registrar and Chief Executive, and was appointed by the Lord Chancellor. He is the Head of Land Registry and is responsible to the Secretary State for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. He started on 21 February 2011. He is responsible for:

— Carrying out the role of registrar referred to in the Land Registration Act 2002, the Land Charges Act 1972 and the Agricultural Credits Act 1928 and is responsible for keeping the registers established for the purposes of those Acts.

— Making an annual report on the business of Land Registry to the Lord Chancellor and publishing that report.

— Managing and controlling the Land Registry Trading Fund.

— Managing the funding operations (that is those limited to the conduct of business under the Land registration Act 2002, the Land Charges Act 1972 and the Agricultural Credits Act 1928 as well as the provision of services in wider markets relating to registration and the management and marketing of information relating to land and property so that the income of the fund:

— Consists principally of receipts in respect of goods and services provided in the course of the funded operations, and

— Is not less than sufficient, taking one year with another, to meet outgoings properly chargeable to the income and expenditure account.

— Achieving any further financial objectives determined by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, with Treasury concurrence.

— Carrying out the responsibilities of Accounting Officer of the trading fund. In this capacity, he is responsible for the proper, effective and efficient use of the resources and ensures compliance with the requirements in ‘Managing Public Money’ and with any general guidance issued by the Treasury and the Cabinet Office.

— Ensuring that all expenditure he incurs in respect of the funded operations are to be paid out of the trading fund.

— Paying into the Consolidated Fund each year a dividend equal to the required rate of return on average capital employed.

— Establishing and maintaining general, capital and other reserves in the accounts of the trading fund and may pay into the Consolidated Fund and amounts standing in the reserves of the trading fund that at any time appear to him to be surplus to the foreseeable requirements of the funded operations.

— Investing, if he wishes, money not immediately required in such Government securities as the Treasury may approve.

— Appointing the staff of Land Registry.

— Determining, in agreement with Treasury, the amount and time of any payment out of the trading fund into the Consolidated Fund in respect of staff pensions and associated administrative expenses.

— Authorising staff members of Land Registry to carry out his functions.

Roles and responsibilities

Land Registry Directors

Malcolm Dawson	Chief Land Registrar and Chief Executive
Mark Boyle	Land Registry Board Chair
Alasdair Lewis	Director of Legal Services and Deputy Chief Land Registrar
John Peaden	Director of Operations and Customer Delivery
Paul Hemsley	Finance Director
Annette Davies-Govett	Commercial and Customer Strategy Director
Jon Cocking	Director of Human Resources
Rowland Combes	Director of Information Systems
Tim Franklin	Non-Executive Director
Catrina Holme	Non-Executive Director
Catherine Raines	Non-Executive Director
Kirsty Pearce	Non-Executive Director

Organisational Structure

Land Registry governance

Land Registry's good governance, public accountability and strategic and day-to-day management are the responsibility of its two top management boards.

The Land Registry Board (LRB) is responsible for the strategic direction, good governance and overall performance of Land Registry. It is chaired by an independent non-executive chair and includes two non-executive directors who also chair the Pay Committee and the Audit Committee.

The Executive Board (EXB) delivers the annual business plan and is responsible for the day-to-day management of Land Registry.

The Land Registry Board (LRB)

The Land Registry Board's purpose is to set Land Registry's overall strategy and to assist the Chief Land Registrar and Chief Executive in his ultimate responsibility and accountability for the good governance and performance of Land Registry.

Members

Mark Boyle - Non-Executive Chair
Malcolm Dawson OBE – Chief Land Registrar and Chief Executive
John Peaden – Director of Operations
Paul Hemsley – Finance Director
Catherine Raines – Non-Executive Director
Kirsty Pearce – Non-Executive Director
Tim Franklin – Non-Executive Director
Catrina Holme – Non-Executive Director

Liz Conn – Secretary

Responsibilities

Specifically, the Land Registry Board:

sets the overall strategy and determines the priorities within it
approves the budget and key performance indicators and other objectives to be put to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills and Lord Chancellor each year and assures itself of progress against them
reviews performance, risk management and controls by means of high level reports from the Executive Board
reviews the governance of the business including health and safety, Welsh language, diversity, business risks and audit issues
discusses issues that could affect the strategic direction of the business or its reputation.

The Executive Board (EXB)

The Executive Board's purpose is to deliver Land Registry's annual business plan and is responsible for the day-to-day management of Land Registry.

Members

Malcolm Dawson OBE (Chair) – Chief Land Registrar and Chief Executive
Alasdair Lewis – Director of Legal Services
John Peaden – Director of Operations
Paul Hemsley – Finance Director
Annette Davies-Govett - Commercial & Customer Strategy Director
Rowland Combes – Director of Information Systems
Jon Cocking – Director of Human Resources

Victoria Henry – Secretary

Responsibilities

Specifically, the Executive Board:

delivers Land Registry's annual business plan
proposes Land Registry's key performance indicators to monitor performance
reviews the operational, financial, human resources and information systems performance and issues that are referred up by the chairs of subsidiary boards
escalates issues to the Land Registry Board for review and decision that have an overall bearing on Land Registry strategy

Information about our legislation

A great deal of legislation has an effect on Land Registration, either directly or indirectly, but Land Registry currently derives most of its practice and procedure from the following:
The Land Registration (Electronic Conveyancing) Rules 2008
The Land Registration (Network Access) Rules 2008
The Land Registration (Proper Office) Order 2009
The Land Registration (Proper Office No.2) Order
The Land Registration (Proper Office) Order 2010
The Land Registration Fee Order 2009
The Commonhold (Land Registration) Rules 2004
The Land Registration Act 2002
The Land Registration Rules 2003
The Land Registration Act 2002 (Transitional Provisions) Order 2003
The Land Registration Act 2002 (Transitional Provisions) (No.2) Order 2003
The Land Charges Act 1972
The Land Charges Rules 1974
The Land Charges Fees Rules 1990
The Agricultural Credits Act 1928
The Agricultural Credits Regulations 1928
The Agricultural Credits Fees Order 1985
Note: Where appropriate this includes any amendments to the legislation.

Corporate Responsibility

Corporate responsibility is the continuing commitment by businesses such as Land Registry to behave ethically and contribute to economic development while improving the quality of life of the workforce and their families, as well as the local community and society at large. In 2007 we joined Business in the Community, which comprises more than 700 of the UK’s top companies committed to improving their positive impact on society. Our ongoing membership of Business in the Community has contributed to the updating of our corporate responsibility action plan. The recent foundation of a steering group will further promote our vision to encourage socially responsible business behaviour, focusing on successful delivery of our corporate responsibility and sustainable development obligations. Environmental management systems and sustainable procurement continue to be major items on Land Registry’s corporate responsibility agenda. We have continued with external audits of our accreditation to the ISO 14001 Environmental Standard, demonstrating the effectiveness of our Environmental Management System and achieving continued certification. Our procurement team is working to ensure we are a leading government department in the area of sustainable procurement, taking forward requirements set within the Government’s Sustainable Procurement Task Force Action Plan.

Contact Details for Land Registry

Land Registry Main Website: www.landregistry.gov.uk

Publication Scheme Officer
Land Registry, Head Office
Trafalgar House
1 Bedford Park
Croydon
CR0 2AQ
Email: publication.scheme@landregistry.gsi.gov.uk

Freedom of Information Officer
Land Registry, Head Office
Trafalgar House
1 Bedford Park
Croydon
CR0 2AQ
Email: foi@landregistry.gsi.gov.uk

Data Protection Officer
Land Registry, Head Office
Trafalgar House
1 Bedford Park
Croydon
CR0 2AQ
Email: dataprotection@landregistry.gsi.gov.uk

Land Registry Copyright Enquiries
Land Registry, Birkenhead Office
Woodside Ferry Approach
Birkenhead
Merseyside CH41 6DU
Email: copyright@landregistry.gov.uk

Welsh Language Coordinator
Land Registry Wales Office
Ty Cwm Tawe,
Phoenix Way,
Llansamlet
Swansea SA7 9FQ
Email: eleri.jones@landregistry.gsi.gov.uk

The Business Development Fulfilment Team
Land Registry, Birkenhead Office
Woodside Ferry Approach
Birkenhead
Merseyside CH48 6DU
Email: commercial.services@landregistry.gsi.gov.uk
Telephone 0151 473 6137

Customer Service and Handling
Land Registry, Head Office
Trafalgar House
1 Bedford Park
Croydon
CR0 2AQ
Email: customer.services@landregistry.gsi.gov.uk
Textphone: 0800 0153552

UK Legislation
The National Archives
Kew
Richmond
Surrey TW9 4DU
Website: www.legislation.gov.uk

The Stationery Office
The Stationery Office (TSO)
PO BOX 29
Norwich NR3 1PD
Telephone: 0807 600 5522
Email: book.orders@tso.co.uk
Website: www.tso.co.uk

Information Commissioner
Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Website: www.ico.gov.uk

2. What we spend and how we spend it

Financial Statements

Land Registry’s financial information including annual accounts, cash plans, Trading Fund Order, financial planning and control and investment is obtained via our annual report.

HM Land Registry Annual Report and Accounts

DESCRIPTION: Yearly report and accounts for Land Registry dating back to 1993 Available as a hard copy since 1993 and electronically since 1999. Our annual report is free electronically but there is a fee for a hard copy.

Capital Programme

Land Registry’s Annual Report and Accounts shows a breakdown of capital expenditure by broad category. A further breakdown can be provided on request. Land Registry does not have any private finance initiatives or public-private partnership contracts.

Pay and grading Structures

Land Registry follows the Civil Service grading structure. However, additional grades were introduced and some renamed so that they relate more closely to the work of the organisation. The table below is a brief summary of the grades.

Civil Service	Land Registry	National Pay Band effective from 1 June 2010.	Generic Grouping
AA (Administration Assistant)	RA (Registration Assistant)	£16,413	Administration grades
AO (Administration Officer)	RO (Registration Officer)	£19,149
EO (Executive Officer)	RE2L (Registration Executive – Lower)	£22,437 - £23,628	Middle management and casework grades
HEO (Higher Executive Officer)	RE2U (Registration Executive – Upper)	£26,228 - £29,712
SEO (Senior Executive Officer)	RE1 Registration Executive – level 1)	£32,974 - £36,402
	SRE (Senior Registration Executive)	£40,016 - £44,180	Senior grades
Grade 7	SRA2 (Senior Registration Administrator – level 2)	£48,880 - £55,475
Grade 6	SRA1 (Senior Registration Administrator – level 1)	£59,785 - £68,156
	SRAL (Senior Registration Administrator – Legal) – Lawyer	£51,131 - £59,738
SCS (Senior Civil Service)	SCS (Senior Civil Service)	£58,200 - £208,100

— Details of staff with salaries over £150,000

Obtained via http://data.gov.uk/dataset/uk-civil-service-high-earners

— Organogram

An overview of the structure and salary information for the most senior members of Land Registry's management, together with summary information of the staffing structure for the main business directorates.
Obtained via our website

— Director's Expenses

Available on request.

Procurement Procedures

The Corporate Procurement group deals with procurement procedures at Land Registry. The group is responsible for developing and implementing Land Registry’s procurement policy. The policy reflects all UK procurement legislation, Government policy and guidelines, and business best practice. Corporate Procurement forms part of the Finance Directorate. It is headed by the Chief Procurement Officer who reports to the Finance Director.

— Procurement Policy

DESCRIPTION: Corporate policy reflecting all UK Procurement legislation.
Obtained on request.

Lists of Contracts awarded and their value

— List of Contracts

DESCRIPTION: Current list of contracts at Land Registry
Published on the Contracts Finder website: www.contractsfinder.gov.uk.

Official Journal of the European Union: www.publications.europa.eu/official/index_en.htm

Financial Statements for projects and events

High-level data on major projects can be extracted from our financial accounting system and supplied on request.

Internal Financial Regulations

The Accounting Rules and practices under which Land Registry operates are available from the Treasury website. Internal rules on expenditure on travel and subsistence is contained in our Travel and Subsistence Policy, which is available on request.

— Land Registry Expenditure

DESCRIPTION: An overview of expenditure over £25,000
Obtained via our website.

3. What are our priorities and how are we doing

Strategies and plans etc

Listed below is general information about Land Registry, corporate publications, performance, history, available services, and future initiatives.

— Business Strategy 2013-18

The Business Strategy is our five year plan to meet the needs of our customers and stakeholders and be recognised as the world leader in digitising land registration services and in managing and enabling the reuse of our data.

The strategy will set the direction for Land Registry and focus on ways we can leverage and expand our capabilities and contribute to economic growth by:

increasing the assurance and compliance we provide to the market;
unlocking efficiencies in the public sector as well as the land and property markets; and
maximising the potential to r-use our data for the benefit of the wider economy.

— HM Land Registry Annual Report and Accounts

DESCRIPTION: Yearly report and accounts for Land Registry dating back to 1993
FORMAT: Hard Copy (1993 – Present Day); Electronic Version (1999 – Present Day)
Obtained free from our website or available to purchase at a cost from The Stationery Office. The Stationery Office will be able to provide details of the cost.

— HM Land Registry Annual Business Plan

DESCRIPTION: Yearly Business Plan for Land Registry containing our objectives and Key Performance Targets.
FORMAT: Hard Copy (1993 – Present Day); Electronic Version (1999 – Present Day)
Obtained via our website.

— E-Business Strategy 2001 - 2011

DESCRIPTION: Long term e-business strategy for Land Registry
Obtained on request.

— Strategy for implementation of e-conveyancing

DESCRIPTION: The business strategy for the implementation of E-Conveyancing in England and Wales.
Obtained on request.

— Publications produced by the Technical Assurance Group (TAG)

TAG Reports

DESCRIPTION: Reports review the work undertaken by the TAG during the current financial year. The reports cover i.e. Land Registration Practices and Procedures
Obtained on request.

— Publications produced by Internal Audit

Annual Report

DESCRIPTION: Head of Internal Audit’s Annual Report to Land Registry Board.
Obtained on request.

— Publications produced by International Unit

International Consultancy - The services we can offer

DESCRIPTION: Statement of Land Registry’s consultancy and advisory services
Obtained via our website.

— Publications produced by Independent Complaints Reviewer (ICR)

Annual Report

DESCRIPTION: Annual reports of the Independent Complaints Reviewer to Land Registry from 1999 to the present day.
Obtained from the website of the ICR www.icrev.org.uk

— Diversity Strategy

DESCRIPTION: Long term diversity strategy for Land Registry
Obtained via our website

— Strategic Equality Objectives

DESCRIPTION: Four yearly equality objectives to enable Land Registry to achieve the aims of the general duty.
Obtained on request

Performance reports to Parliament

— HM Land Registry Framework Document (2008)

DESCRIPTION: This document sets out the framework within which Land Registry operates, including the Registry’s responsibilities to its customers and its accountability to the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice.
Obtained via our website

— Reports to Minister

DESCRIPTION: 6 monthly reports to the Minister for Land Registry
Obtained by request

— Service Standards

— HM Land Registry: Statement of Service Standards

DESCRIPTION: This booklet sets out our commitment to provide a high quality service to our customers and the standards of service they can expect from us.
Obtained via our website

— Geographic Information Charter Standards Statement

DESCRIPTION: Statement detailing the reasons behind Land Registry adopting the Geographic Information Charter
Obtained on request.

Statistics

— Land Registry Performance against its Key Performance Targets

DESCRIPTION: Statistics
Obtained by request

— Performance Results for each Land Registry Office

DESCRIPTION: Statistics
Obtained by request

— Finance Statistics

General Land Registry Financial Statistics

DESCRIPTION: Statistical information such as staff numbers, sickness rate etc.
Obtained by request

Note: Some of the material in this document type is derived from information that we consider to contain exempt material. Where this occurs the material will clearly show where information has been withheld and explain what exemption has been applied and why. Typically information may be withheld if its release would compromise the health and safety of staff or national security.

— ‘Long Term Debt’ Statistics

DESCRIPTION: Statistical information
Obtained by request

— Land Registry Payment Performance Statistics

DESCRIPTION: Monthly tables (14 Local Offices)
Obtained by request

— Land Registry Payment Performance Statistics

DESCRIPTION: Monthly tables (Whole Agency)
Obtained by request

— Training Statistics

General statistics relating to training and development in Land Registry

DESCRIPTION: Statistical information
Obtained by request

— Statistics on secondments and interchange opportunities

DESCRIPTION: Statistical information
Obtained by request

4. How we make decisions

Major policy proposals and decisions

Land Registry can only do what our legislation allows us to do. If we wish to amend the Rules or Fee Order for example then we have to undertake a consultation exercise with Ministerial approval before processes can be amended and changes introduced.

Background information for major policy proposals and decisions

The Board escalates policy matters requiring Land Registry Board consideration, outlining key issues and making recommendations where appropriate. Ultimately it is the responsibility of the Land Registry Board for all major policy issues and strategies.

Public consultations

All active and completed consultation exercises run by Land Registry can be found on our website.

Minutes of senior – level meetings

— Land Registry Boards

— Land Registry Board

DESCRIPTION: Membership, Terms of Reference, Agenda and Meeting Minutes
Obtained on request

— Executive Board

DESCRIPTION: Membership, Terms of Reference, Agenda and Meeting Minutes
Obtained on request

Note 1: Agendas will be available six weeks after the date of meetings.
Note 2: Edited minutes of meetings will be available six weeks after the date of meetings.
Note 3: Any paper presented to either the Land Registry Board or Executive Board for information, discussion or action, will become publicly available 24 months after the date of the paper unless there are justifiable reasons for not releasing all or part of that paper at that time.

— Register Protection Committee
— Planning Budgeting and Investment Committee
— Information Management Committee
— People Committee
— Audit Committee
— Diversity Committee
— Corporate Responsibility Committee
— Remuneration & Nomination Committee
— New Product Development Committee
— IT Security Committee
— Departmental Health & Safety Committee
— Physical & Personnel Security Committee

DESCRIPTION: Terms of Reference, Agenda and Meeting Minutes
Obtained on request

Internal communications guidance, criteria used for decision-making, internal instructions, manuals and guidelines

— Internal Guidance - The Land Registration Act 2002 "Library"

DESCRIPTION: Guidance for Land Registry staff on all aspects of land registration practice and procedure. The guidance is written solely for casework staff and is continuously updated and revised. Any part of the Library that is issued as a result of a request by a customer will therefore have limited currency.

As the Library holds a very substantial amount of information, it would be helpful if requestors specify the area(s) of land registration practice and procedure they require. The documents are usually displayed on an internal software system, which contains various features such as graphics, and automatic links, which cannot be replicated on paper copies.

Obtained by request - this should be made in writing to the Publication Scheme Officer or Email: publication.scheme@landregistry.gsi.gov.uk

Land Registry charges a fee for this service.

NOTE: Land Registry would not release any guidance intended for its staff where the release of that information would prejudice our ability to detect or prevent crime.

— Index to Land Registry Rules and Acts

DESCRIPTION: Guidance for Land Registry staff on the Rules and Acts for Land Registration
Obtained by request - this should be made in writing to the Publication Scheme Officer or Email: publication.scheme@landregistry.gsi.gov.uk

Land Registry charges a fee for this service.

— Internal Information Circulars

DESCRIPTION: Staff electronic bulletin

Obtained on request

5. Our policies and procedures

Risk Management

— Management of Risk in Land Registry

DESCRIPTION: Clear policy for Land Registry employees on risk management Obtained on request

Health and Safety

— Health and Safety Handbook

DESCRIPTION: Guidance for Land Registry employees on Health and Safety Matters
Obtained on request

— Health and Safety Policy

DESCRIPTION: Policy Document for Land Registry employees
Obtained on request

— Annual Health and Safety Report

DESCRIPTION: Annual reports since 2003 containing Land Registry Health and Safety information
Obtained on request

Energy and Environment

— Environmental Policy

DESCRIPTION: Policy statement
Obtained via our website

— Annual Energy and Environment Report

DESCRIPTION: Annual reports since 2002 containing Land Registry Energy and Environment information
Obtained on Request

— ISO1400 – 1 Environmental Management System Information

DESCRIPTION: Information about the Land Registry’s Environmental Policy and Management System
Obtained on request

Note: Some of the material in this document type is derived from information that we consider to contain exempt material. Where this occurs the material will clearly show where information has been withheld and explain what exemption has been applied and why. For example information may be withheld if its release would compromise the health and safety of staff or national security.

Equality and Diversity

Information relating to Land Registry’s policy on Diversity including details of Equality Analysis, Diversity Statistics, Strategic Equality Objectives and Cultural Diversity. We will not publish information about particular members of staff or other individuals.

— Equality Analysis

DESCRIPTION: To ensure we will fulfill our legal requirements under the public sector equality duty we undertake equality analysis to ensure we show due regard to the aims of the equality duty
Obtained via our website

— Equality Information Report

DESCRIPTION: Land Registry monitor how successful our equality objectives are in meeting our goals and therefore we collect and analyse information to help us do this. The results are published in our Equality Information Report 2012 which provides information on howu we have monitored and promoted equality and diversity over the last 12 months and our improvement plans for 2012.
Obtained via our website

— Cultural Diversity Booklet

DESCRIPTION: A resource booklet on religious and cultural observance, belief, language and naming systems
Obtained on request

— Management of Contract Staff Policy

DESCRIPTION: A clear statement of our policy for the engagement and management of contract staff.
Obtained on request

— Career Opportunities within Land Registry

DESCRIPTION: General information about career opportunities and brief descriptions of Registration Officer and Registration Executive posts including details of starting salaries.
Obtained via website

— Current Recruitment Exercises

DESCRIPTION: Details of current vacancies within Land Registry, contact details, starting salaries, closing dates and brief job descriptions.
Obtained via website

— Recruitment Policy
DESCRIPTION: A statement of policy for the recruitment of staff. Obtained on requtest

Capability Group - Training

Project & Programme Centre services

General information and advice provided for Land Registry employees involved in project management including information about PRINCE2, OGC Gateways and project management resources available.

— PRINCE 2 - project management resources

DESCRIPTION: Template forms and logs provided to Land Registry staff to assist in project management within the Land Registry.
Obtained on request.

— Office of Government Commerce (OGC) Gateway information

DESCRIPTION: Information relating to OGC Gateway Reviews, template forms and practical assistance provided for Land Registry staff involved in project management.
Obtained on request.

Customer Service and Handling

— Customer Care Policy

DESCRIPTION: Policy Document
Obtained by request.

— Complaints - Putting Things Right

DESCRIPTION: A guide to the Land Registry Complaints Procedure.
Obtained via website

— Customers with specific needs

DESCRIPTION: Statement and practical advice.
Obtained on request

— Statement of Service Standards

DESCRIPTION: This booklet sets out our commitment to provide a high quality service to our customers and the standards of service they can expect from us.
Obtained via our website

— Land Registry Advisory Policy

DESCRIPTION: A clear statement of our policy on offering advice to our customers.
Obtained via our website

— Welsh Language Scheme (4th Edition)

DESCRIPTION: Policy Document on the use of the Welsh Language.
Obtained via our website

Staff Policies

Staff Handbook

— Code of Conduct

DESCRIPTION: Policy Document
Obtained on request. A fee will be charged for this service

Note: Some of the material in this document type is derived from information that we consider to contain exempt material. Where this occurs the material will clearly show where information has been withheld and explain what exemption has been applied and why. For example information may be withheld if its release would compromise the health and safety of staff or national security.

— Policy Statements

Policy Statement on Blame Free Culture
Policy Statement on Training and Development
Policy Statement on First Aid
Policy Statement on Risk Management
Policy Statement on Internal Communication
Policy Statement on Customer Care
Policy Statement on Publication of Board Papers
All available on request

— Strategic Equality Objectives

DESCRIPTION: Land Registry’s Strategic Equality Objectives 2011-14
Obtained via our website

Records management and personal data policies

— Data Protection Policy

DESCRIPTION: Policy Document
Obtained on request

— Anti-bribery commitment

DESCRIPTION: Land Registry's statement
Obtained via our website

— Anti-Fraud Policy

DESCRIPTION: Policy Document
Obtained on request

— Security policies

DESCRIPTION: Policy Documents
Email usage
Passwords
Viruses
Computer usage
Internet usage
Mobile computing
Removable computing media
Physical security
Obtained on request

—Information Fair Trader Principles

DESCRIPTION: Policy Statement (2003)
Obtained on request

— General Copyright Policy

DESCRIPTION: Policy Document
Obtained on request

Charging regimes and policies

— Statutory and non-statutory services

Land Registry’s principal income comes from fees it charges for the provision of statutory services under the Land Registration Act 2002. The fees for statutory services are set out in fee orders.
The current fees for Land Registry services are prescribed by the Land Registration Fee Order 2009, which came into force on 6 July 2009. It provides that fees for all statutory services are paid by credit account, cheque, cash, postal order or by direct debit. The Land Registration Act 2002 also contains provisions, which enables:
Land Registry to recover charges for access to the electronic network under Schedule 5 paragraph 2 (1) of the Land Registration Act 2002 no such charges have yet been set.
Under section 105 of the Land Registration Act 2002, Land Registry can make charges for consultancy and advisory services about registration of land in England and Wales or elsewhere. This enables the Chief Land Registrar to set appropriate charges.
Land Registry operates as a trading fund and as such is required to ensure that taking one year with another, that it’s income is sufficient to meet its operating costs plus a return on the capital employed in providing those goods and services.

— Land Charges services

Fees for Land Charges services are prescribed by The Land Charges Fees Order 1990 and The Land Charges Fees Rules 1990 as amended by the Land Charges Fees (Amendment) Rules 1994. Payment may be made for these services by credit account, cheque, postal order or cash.

— Agricultural Credits

Fees for services provided by Agricultural Credits are governed by The Agricultural Credits Fee Order 1985. Fees are collected in the same way as for Land Charges services.

— Freedom of Information
The main purpose of Land Registry is to maintain the register of land in England and Wales. The register has been open to public inspection since December 1990. You can inspect any of the 22 million registers we currently hold and obtain official copies of them and any documents relating to that register that are available under the Land Registration Act 2002 and the Land Registration Rules 2003 (LRR 2003), subject to certain exceptions. Please note that a fee is payable for this service. Where information is available under the Land Registration Act and Rules, we will ask you to complete the appropriate form under the LRR 2003 – see Public Guide 1 – A guide to the information we keep and how you can obtain it for details of the type of information we keep and copies of the forms for you to use. Information that is available and is requested of Land Registry will be governed by the LRR 2003 and not by the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA 2000). This is because s.21, FOIA 2000 makes information exempt from the FOIA 2000 when it is “reasonably accessible by other means”.

The following information provides legal and procedural advice on making requests
Public Guide 15
Obtainable via our website

The Information Commissioner provides guidance on their website at:
www.ico.gov.uk/what_we_cover/freedom_of_information.aspx

— Statistics

Statistical information on the number of requests under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 made to the Land Registry are published by the Ministry of Justice at:
www.justice.gov.uk/publications/statistics-and-data/foi/implementation.htm

— Disclosure log

A selection of responses to requests made under the Freedom of Information Act and the Environmental Information Regulations.
Obtainable via our website

6. Lists and registers

Public registers and registers held as a public record

— The Open Register for England and Wales

Information collected by Land Registry as part of the core business of maintaining the Land Register for England and Wales is available as of right under the Land Registration Act 2002 and its associated Rules.

DESCRIPTION: The Register (which contains information on the address, owner and any mortgage lenders, amongst other matters) and Title Plan (showing the general boundaries) for all registered properties.

— 1862 Act registers

The Land Registry Act 1862 (the 1862 Act) was the first attempt to create a register of title. The 1862 Act contained serious flaws, which meant that only a few thousand titles were registered under it. Between 1875 and 10 October 2003 any dealings lodged against 1862 Act titles resulted in the re-registration of the title under the later Acts. In spite of this, there are still some 1862 Act titles in existence.

Land Registry will continue to have custody of the records but will take no further action on these titles.

The Land Registry Act 1862 was repealed by s.135 of, and schedule 13 to, the Land Registration Act 2002 and has ceased to have any effect (s.122(1)). You can apply for a copy of the relevant entries in the 1862 register, using either form OC2 or by letter. No fee is payable.

7. The services we offer

Listed below is the information Land Registry has available for our customers.

Land Registry’s regulatory responsibilities

— The Open Register for England and Wales

Information collected by Land Registry as part of the core business of maintaining the Land Register for England and Wales is available as of right under the Land Registration Act 2002 and its associated Rules.

DESCRIPTION: The Register (which contains information on the address, owner and any mortgage lenders, amongst other matters) and Title Plan (showing the general boundaries) for all registered properties.

ACCESS DETAILS: This information is available on official application made in accordance with The Land Registration Rules 2003. Details are set out in Land Registry Public Guide 1 and Practice Guide 11.

COST: This information is subject to fees as set out in The Land Registration Fee Order 2009 and any subsequent Orders.

— Historical Copies of the Land Register for England and Wales

DESCRIPTION: Superseded versions of the Register (which contains information on the address, owner and any mortgage lenders, amongst other matters) and Title Plan (showing the general boundaries) for all registered properties. Only information already stored in electronic form is available, and this may vary significantly between one property and another.

ACCESS DETAILS: This information is available on official application made in accordance with The Land Registration Rules 2003. Details are set out in Land Registry Public Guide 1 and Practice Guide 11.

COST: This information is subject to fees as set out in The Land Registration Fee Order 2009 and any subsequent Orders.

— Documents held by Land Registry which relate to an application

DESCRIPTION: All such documents as defined by section 66 of the Land Registration Act 2002,Rule 135 of the Land Registration Rules 2003 and any other applicable provisions.

ACCESS DETAILS: This information is available on official application made in accordance with The Land Registration Rules 2003. Details are set out in Land Registry Practice Guide 11. In certain circumstances it is possible to prevent documents becoming available for public inspection. Details on how to do this are contained in Land Registry Practice Guide 57.

COST: This information is subject to fees as set out in The Land Registration Fee Order 2009 and any subsequent Orders.

— Land Registration Forms

Land Registry Forms are used to obtain information, or to ask for an addition or alteration to the Register, or to represent transactions with registered land. Mandatory and optional official forms for all land registration transactions, as set out in The Land Registration Rules 2003
Land Registry forms are available to download from the website at no cost and are normally available as word documents and PDF files. To access PDF files you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer.

— Public Guides

Land Registry Public Guides cover a range of subjects. They are designed to assist people without specialist legal knowledge to understand the most common aspects of Land Registration. Public Guides are available to download from the website.

— Practice Guides

Land Registry Practice Guides are mainly intended for conveyancers and cover a range of topics in land registration practice and procedure. They are designed to assist solicitors and conveyancers to process transactions. Practice Guides are available to download from the website.

— Practice Bulletins
Land Registry Practice Bulletins cover transitional matters and topics with a limited lifespan and are designed for conveyancers, solicitors and customers. Practice Bulletins are available to download from the website.

— Joint Statement by Land Registry and Ordnance Survey

DESCRIPTION: Information to help customers understand their different roles in forming the basis of Land Registry title plans.
Obtained via our website.

— Exempt Information Documents

DESCRIPTION: Exempt Information Documents are defined in r.136, Land Registration Rules 2003.

ACCESS DETAILS: In response to a request for an Official Copy of an Exempt Information Document, Land Registry will issue a copy of the Edited Information Document (which will not disclose the prejudicial information). If this document is not sufficient, application may then be made for a full copy. Details of how to do this and of the action Land Registry will take are contained in Land Registry Practice Guide 57.

COST: This information is subject to fees as set out in The Land Registration Fee Order 2009 and any subsequent Orders.

Land Charges and Agricultural Credits Department
General information and advice provided for customers on issues relating to the Land Charges Department and the Agricultural Credits Department.

— Computerised Land Charges Guide

DESCRIPTION: Practical information for dealing with Land Charges applications.
Obtained by request

— Guide to fees ~ Land Charges and Agricultural Credits (K242)

DESCRIPTION: A guide to fees charged by the Land Charges and Agricultural Credits Departments.
Obtained by request

— Practice Advice

Practice Guide 63 - Land Charges - Applications for registration, official search, office copy and cancellation contains information relating to the Land Charges department

DESCRIPTION: This guide gives advice about applications to Land Registry, Land Charges Department to register an interest in unregistered land, to search the index, to obtain an office copy and to cancel an entry.
Obtained via our website

— Land Registry Public Guide 10 and Public Guide 11 with particular relevance to the Land Charges Department.
Obtained via our website

— Land Charges Department Application Forms for all Land Charges transactions

Application for registration in farmer’s name Application for registration in name of an Agricultural Society Application for cancellation of an entry in the register on proof of discharge Application for a certificate that a registration has been cancelled Application for a certified copy of the memorandum filed in the Register of Agricultural Charges under the Act Application for an official search (Agricultural Credits) Application for the rectification of an entry in the register
All obtained via our website

Fee Information

— Ready Reference Guides - Information Services Fees

DESCRIPTION: Easy to use guides to Land Registry Fees
Obtained via our website

— The Land Registration Fee Order 2009

DESCRIPTION: Statutory Instrument setting out and legitimising the Land Registry Fee structure.
Obtained by downloading from the www.legislation.gov.uk, or a paper copy can be obtained from the Stationery Office. It is free from the legislation website, but the Stationery Office will charge a fee.

— The Land Charges Fee Rule

DESCRIPTION: Statutory Instrument setting out and legitimising the Land Charges Department Fee structure.
Obtained by downloading from www.legislation.gov.uk, or a paper copy can be obtained from the Stationery Office. It is free from the Legislation website, but the Stationery Office will charge a fee.

— Agricultural Credits Fee Order 1985

DESCRIPTION: Statutory Instrument setting out and legitimising the Agricultural Credits Department Fee structure.
Obtained from the Stationery Office who will charge a fee.

— Registration Services Fees, Information Services Fees

DESCRIPTION: Easy to use guides to Land Registry Fees
Obtained via our website

—Online Fees Calculator

DESCRIPTION: Online program to assist customers calculate the correct fee for their land registration applications
Obtained via our website

Services for members of the public

—E-Services – web pages

DESCRIPTION: Web Pages dedicated to providing general information about business e-services

— Electronic Communications Act 2000

DESCRIPTION: An Act that enables the development of e-conveyancing
Obtained by downloading from www.legislation.gov.uk, or a paper copy can be obtained from the Stationery Office. It is free from the legislation website, but the Stationery Office will charge a fee.

Public Data

Land Registry’s free market trend data is made up of Transaction data and Price paid data.

From January 2012 Land Registry made its Transaction data available for free. It is downloadable for re-use in an accessible and re-useable format under the Open Government Licence (OGL). Land Registry will update the data each month. Transaction data includes the:

number and types of applications by all account customers
number and types of transactions for value by all account customers
number of applications in England and Wales divided by region
number of applications in England and Wales divided local authority district
number of searches by all account customers

From March 2012, Land Registry made its monthly "Price paid data" available for free. It shows residential property price data for all of the residential property sales in England and Wales that are lodged with us for registration. This is downloadable for re-use in a re-useable format under the OGL, and updated monthly.

Transaction data and Price paid data are available from our website or from www,data.gov.uk.

From January 2013 Land Registry provides resources for linked data under http://landregistry.data.gov.uk/. Linking data enables information to be connected and shared more easily by using a simple set of guidelines to provide a consistent and easy way of finding data and linking it together.

INSPIRE is a European Commission (EC) initiative aimed at making spatial data more accessible. Spatial data is information that corresponds to a location, allowing it to be viewed on a map. Land Registry has introduced an INSPIRE service to provide web access to search (discover) and view Land Registry INSPIRE index polygons. Land Registry's INSPIRE index polygon dataset is a subset of the Land Registry index map. UK INSPIRE datasets are available to search and view at data.gov.uk.

See Public Guide 24 – INSPIRE, available from our website.

Online Services

N.B. Land Registry Direct closed on 19 June 2010 and was replaced by services which are currently available through e-business services.

— e-Business Services

e-Business services are available through the Land Registry portal and currently provide pre-registration and e-lodgement services for business users online, available weekdays 0630 to 2200 hours and on Saturdays 0700 to 1700 hours.

Businesses are required to register as users and to agree to Conditions of Use or a Memorandum of Understanding as appropriate and a Network Access Agreement.

Payment for services is only by variable direct debit. Costs are explained online, and in the current fee order.
Future electronic lodgement and services will be added as they become available.

Business Gateway is an alternative way in which customers’ case management systems can interact with Land Registry systems to access our e-services, other than directly through the portal.
Practice Guide 71 – Electronic Services - and terms and conditions available via our website.

— Find a Property Service

This service is designed for the general public and provides property information in the form of PDF copies of registers and title plans online, available Monday to Saturday 0400 to 2400. Customers must register as a user to obtain property information.
The service is accessed through the Land Registry portal from the Land Registry website under the Find a Property service.
Payment is by credit/debit card. Costs are explained online, and in the current fee order.
Terms and conditions and FAQs available via our website.

— Commercial and Customer Directorate

— Property Price Information

Data collected by Land Registry relating to residential property prices throughout England and Wales.

Price Paid Dataset

DESCRIPTION: Data collected by Land Registry relating to residential property prices throughout England and Wales. Price paid data down to address level is available from January 1995 and is updated on a monthly basis. It contains over 15 million data entries and is available to purchase on a year-by-year basis.

Data from 2012: Monthly price paid data for residential property sales in England and Wales since 01 February 2012 freefrom our website. Free price paid data is supplied under the terms of the Open Government Licence.
Archived datasets: Archived price paid datasets, consisting of more than 17 million definitive records covering 1 January 1995 to 31 January 2012. Purchase datasets for the whole of England and Wales or for specific areas. Archived data is supplied under a Land Registry re-use licence.

Standard Residential Property Price Reports

DESCRIPTION: Land Registry offers a standard report service whereby Property Price Reports showing aggregated data can now be ordered for any region, county or Local Authority District in England and Wales or any Postcode Area, District or Sector. We are able to provide separate reports for new and old properties and price bands for any quarter from 1995 to the present date.

— House Price Index

DESCRIPTION: Land Registry’s House Price Index is the most accurate independent house price index available. Using our data set of completed sales, it is the only index based on repeat sales. It includes figures at national, regional, county and London borough level.
You can generate lists of average house prices in any area of England and Wales for a range of months since January 1995. A price index for the area (set at 100 on January 1995) will also be shown and you can compare any two areas

From 29 January 2013 the House Price Index monthly report will contain additional information on repossessions recorded at Land Registry. The report incorporates volumes for England and Wales going back to 2006, broken down by region for the current month together with an adjusted headline statistic which includes the additional repossession data.

— Archive Residential Property Price Reports

DESCRIPTION: Quarterly reports from January 1995 to Dec 2006

All of the above are available electronically on request from our Marketing and Sales Support Team at the following address:
The Business Development Fulfilment Team
Land Registry, Birkenhead Office
Woodside Ferry Approach
Birkenhead
Merseyside
CH41 6DU
Telephone 0151 473 6137
Email: commercial.services@landregistry.gsi.gov.uk
Land Registry makes a charge for these services which follow Treasury guidelines.

— Illustrative Plans

DESCRIPTION: A plan is supplied with a Search of the Index Map (SIM) if there are five or fewer titles affecting the land searched. Any more than five and the result is text only. If you deal with large or complex developments, this may not meet your needs.
Rather than piece together a plan yourself, you can use Land Registry’s Illustrative Plans Service which will provide you with a colour coded plan produced by an expert team, using latest Ordnance Survey detail. It shows the indexed extent of each title number and how they fit together.
Available electronically on request from our Marketing and Sales Support Team at the following address:
The Business Development Fulfilment Team
Land Registry, Birkenhead Office
Woodside Ferry Approach
Birkenhead
Merseyside
CH41 6DU
Telephone 0151 473 6137
Email: commercial.services@landregistry.gsi.gov.uk
Land Registry makes a charge for these services.

— Electronic Extent Data (Extent and Title Information)

DESCRIPTION: Polygon Information – which has the title number embedded – can help identify all the property owned within a defined geographic area. It is supplied as a file that can be overlaid onto your Geographical Information System (GIS), thereby providing visual representation of land ownership
This product is supplied for illustrative purpose only.
The following additional services are also available:
- Polygon Plus – A convenient spreadsheet of definitive ownership, tenure and lender details of land within the defined area of the register which can be linked to your GIS
- Title Plus – We provide customers with co-ordinating grid references and the official copy of title plans and/or registers in portable document format (PDF). The title plans can also be linked to your GIS system giving you immediate online access to them.
Available electronically on request from our Marketing and Sales Support Team at the following address:
The Business Development Fulfilment Team
Land Registry, Birkenhead Office
Woodside Ferry Approach
Birkenhead
Merseyside
CH41 6DU
Telephone 0151 473 6137
Email: commercial.services@landregistry.gsi.gov.uk
Land Registry makes a charge for these services.

— Advisory and Consultancy Services

DESCRIPTION: Land Registry provides consultancy and advisory services containing a range of property datasets designed to assist the business needs of organisations about property and land, with more services being created.
The following are examples of the services currently on offer:
- Charge Validation
- Charge/Discharge Confirmation
- Data Matching
- Online Data Matching
- Volume Data Matching
- Spotlight
- Searchlight
- Connect Direct/NLIS
- Data Synchronisation
- Flood Risk Indicator
- Portfolio Consolidator
- Property Price Information/Standard Reports
- Register Extract Service
- Ownership Change Information

N.B. The Flood Risk Indicator is available through the Find a Property service referred to above.

We have a contract that covers the reuse of these data. Once applied for you should receive your contract within 20 working days of our receiving your email

Request can be made to our Business Development Support Team at the following address:

The Business Development Fulfilment Team
Land Registry, Birkenhead Office
Woodside Ferry Approach
Birkenhead
Merseyside
CH41 6DU
Telephone 0151 473 6137
Email: commercial.services@landregistry.gsi.gov.uk
Land Registry makes a charge for consultancy and advisory services.

— Chargeable Training

— Customer training for staff and customers

Internal training programme

DESCRIPTION: Training materials are created for Land Registry staff on all aspects of land registration practice and procedure. The material is written solely for casework staff, including requirements to raise key issues with senior or legally qualified staff. The materials are continuously updated and revised. Any part of this material that is issued as a result of a request by a customer will therefore have limited currency and relevance.

Obtained by request- this should be made in writing to the Publication Scheme Officer or email publication.scheme@landregistry.gsi.gov.uk

Customer training programme

DESCRIPTION: Land Registry has developed a range of open seminars for delivery across England and Wales. All topics are also available for delivery at company premises for up to 30 delegates. We are also developing webinar seminars and online modules on a range of topics. Details of the training programme is available on the website as an e-brochure and the costs are explained in the brochure.

The Capability Group at Land Registry is responsible for delivering the customer training programme. For seminar queries, including bookings and payment, please contact our Marketing and Sales Support Team at the following address:
The Business Development Fulfilment Team
Land Registry, Birkenhead Office
Woodside Ferry Approach
Birkenhead
Merseyside
CH41 6DU

Requests for existing products or seeking the development of new products can be made to our Marketing and Sales Support Team at the following address:
The Business Development Fulfilment Team
Land Registry, Birkenhead Office
Woodside Ferry Approach
Birkenhead
Merseyside
CH41 6DU
Telephone 0151 473 6137
Email: commercial.services@landregistry.gsi.gov.uk
Land Registry makes a charge for these services.

— Leaflets, booklets and newsletters

— A Short History of Land Registration

DESCRIPTION: Booklet containing background and historical information about Land Registry.
Obtained on request

— Complaints - Putting Things Right

DESCRIPTION: A guide to the Land Registry Complaints Procedure
Obtained via website

— Customer Newsletter - Landnet

DESCRIPTION: Magazine
Obtained via website

— Staff Magazine - Landlines

DESCRIPTION: Staff magazine
Obtained on request

— Hearings and Disputes

The following Information for customers provides legal and procedural advice on disputes in land registration matters and hearings before the Adjudicator

Practice Guides on Disputes

Practice Guide 37 - Objections and disputes – A guide to Land Registry practice and procedures
Practice Guide 38 - Costs
Practice Guide 39 - Rectification and indemnity

Hearings and disputes are governed by two further pieces of legislation, in addition to the main Land Registration Legislation. They are:
The Land Registration (Referral to the Adjudicator to HM Land Registry) Rules 2003
The Adjudicator to Her Majesty’s Land Registry (Practice and Procedure) Rules 2003

— Media Releases

— Land Registry Events Calendar

DESCRIPTION: Calendar of upcoming events
Available electronically on request

— Press Releases

DESCRIPTION: Official press releases from Land Registry Press Office from November 1999 to the present day.
Available electronically on request