Transparency data

Public task statement

Updated 16 May 2016

Applies to England and Wales

© Crown copyright 2016

This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gov.uk.

Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.

This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/information-fair-trader-scheme-land-registry/public-task-statement

1. Background

This statement sets out the functions carried out by Land Registry that are within its public task, under the Re-use of Public Sector Information Regulations 2015 (the Re-use Regulations). This statement is regularly reviewed.

2. Public Task

Land Registry is a non-ministerial government department, and our functions are wholly statutory. The relevant powers and responsibilities are set out in the Land Registration Act 2002. There are also statutory responsibilities under the Agricultural Credits Act 1928 and the Land Charges Act 1972. Our main purpose is to register ownership of land in England and Wales and to record dealings with land once it is registered.

This means that the information we hold comprises registers, indices and documents relating to property, its ownership and applications made to us. Our legislation obliges us to make much of this information publicly available and prescribes the charging of specific fees for its release in specified formats. There are additional constraints on release and re-use including data protection and copyright. Firstly, under the Data Protection Act 1998, because much of the information relates to name and address and other personal data relating to individuals. Secondly, because much of the information held and available for release is not Crown copyright. In many cases, it has been prepared by others, such as property owners and their professional advisers.

In addition, Land Registry has recently taken on the responsibility for maintaining the local land charges register in England and Wales under the Local Land Charges Act 1975. This is planned to be implemented on a phased basis, starting in 2017. This will result in Land Registry holding information comprising registers and some documentation relating to local land charges. This information will be publicly available under the Local Land Charges legislation (in some cases subject to the payment of prescribed fees) and under the Environmental Information Regulations 2004.

Land Registry’s Publication Scheme contains details of information available for re-use, whether free re-use under the Open Government Licence or re-use under a licence for which charges are made. Requests for information falling outside our public task will be considered in accordance with our published licensing terms and conditions by our commercial services team.

Commercial services

For queries about chargeable property information services.

3. Contact

For queries about this statement contact:

Departmental Records Officer

If you have a complaint about us under the Re-use Regulations, please use our complaints handling process.

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