Land Registry
Debate between Earl of Courtown and Lord McNally
The Earl of Courtown
My Lords, obviously, as the consultation has not taken place and we do not actually know how the sale will be established, we cannot even talk about the price. But the noble Lord makes a point about exploitation, and he is quite right that those aspects must be guarded.
Lord McNally (LD)
My Lords, I declare an interest in that the Land Registry was the first organisation to offer me a job at the age of 16, so I have always had a fondness for it. Is the Minister aware that the reason why the noble and learned Baroness, Lady Butler-Sloss, is so right is that Land Registry is a key part of the most important thing that most people ever do, which is to buy a house? The public trust the Land Registry. If the public consultation that the Minister has proffered as a way forward shows overwhelming hostility to the Government’s plans by the general public, will the Government accept that decision?
The Earl of Courtown
My Lords, I cannot possibly pre-empt what is said in the consultation and what Her Majesty’s Government will say in response. As I said earlier, the consultation will be taken very seriously by the department.