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Following is the speech by the Secretary for Planning and Lands, Mr Gordon Siu, to move the Second Reading of the Land Registration (Amendment) Bill 2000 in the Legislative Council today (January 17):
Madam President,
I move that the Land Registration (Amendment) Bill 2000 be read a second time. The Bill provides for amendments to the Land Registration Ordinance to improve the services which the Land Registry offers its customers, to introduce new services and to increase its efficiency. The proposals have been the subject of thorough consultation and have the general support of the customers of the Land Registry.
I shall now briefly highlight the key proposals in the Bill.
A. Central Registration System
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The principal aim of the Bill is to make provisions for the introduction of a Central Registration System in the Land Registry. At present, the Land Registry maintains registration offices in nine districts - Urban and Islands Land Registries in its headquarters at the Queensway Government Offices and seven other New Territories Land Registries. Each registration office is independent and maintains a separate set of registration records for its own district. Conveyancing solicitors are required to deliver documents to the respective registration offices for registration. Nearly 96 per cent of all law firms doing conveyancing work are located in the urban area. Under the present arrangement, the law firms have to deliver documents relating to New Territories properties to the relevant New Territories Land Registries. This arrangement is time-consuming and unnecessarily expensive for law firms and their customers. Under the proposed Central Registration System, all documents for registration would be lodged at a central registration office at the Queensway Government Offices. There would be one set of consolidated registration records to determine the priority of each registered instrument. As at present, members of the public will be able to conduct cross-district searches in the headquarters of the Land Registry and its New Territories offices.
B. Colour Imaging System
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To improve its services, the Land Registry is procuring a colour imaging service in which the coloured plans contained in new and existing registered instruments will be imaged in colour. In future, the quality of copies of plans will be enhanced as coloured plans will be produced directly from the colour images, rather than by colouring black and white copies manually. Amendments to the Land Registration Ordinance are required to implement this service which is expected to be fully operational by the end of next year.
C. Overall Review of Land Registration Ordinance and Land Registration Regulations
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The Land Registry has conducted an overall review of the Land Registration Ordinance and its Regulations. A number of proposals resulting from the review require legislative changes. For example, we propose that provisions be made to govern the temporary withdrawal of instruments. The Land Registrar would be authorized to remove from the land register the entries of deeds withheld from registration due to a mistake or other problem after one year.
Madam President, the proposed amendments in the Bill would improve the efficiency of the Land Registry and bring convenience to its customers. I commend the Bill to this Council. Thank you.
End/Wednesday, January 17, 2000
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