Government postpones Land Registry privatisation

The Government has put on hold its plans to sell off the Land Registry, whilst ministers review responses to the Government’s consultation.

At Business of the House on Thursday 26 May 2016, I raised this important issue with The Deputy Leader of the House of Commons, Dr Thérèse Coffey MP: ‘May we have an urgent debate on the Land Registry? Many people are opposed to its privatisation, so may I have an assurance from the Deputy Leader of the House that that will not be sneaked into the planning and infrastructure Bill and the Land Registry therefore sneaked out of the ownership of the British public?’

The postponement of Government’s plan to sell off the land registry is welcomed news for Land Registry staff, campaigners and users of the Land Registry’s services. But what is needed now, is for the Government to formally announce that it will scrap this unwanted plan.

It is clear that people do not want the land registry to be sold off. A petition against the plans has been signed by 317,930 people.