MP's fears over city Land Registry jobs

A CITY MP has raised concerns over the possible privatisation of the Land Registry, which employs over 500 people in Nottingham.

The Government is considering whether there should be greater private sector involvement in the organisation, which has an office in Chalfont Drive where 509 people work.

The Land Registry is responsible for recording land titles and keeping an inventory of UK property deals.

Unions say previous government studies have already shown privatisation is not viable, and warn that if ministers try to pursue a sell-off they "won't hesitate" to ballot members for strike action.

Speaking in the House of Commons, Nottingham South MP Lilian Greenwood asked Rushcliffe MP and Justice Secretary Ken Clarke to pay heed to Land Registry staff expertise.

She said: "I recently met local representatives of the Public and Commercial Services Union from the Nottingham branch of the Land Registry.

"What discussions is the Secretary of State having with staff trade unions to ensure that their valuable expertise and experience are taken into account in shaping the future of the service?"

Promising that any plan would be carefully considered, Mr Clarke responded: "We will certainly take account of all staff comments, and we hope to include the staff in our consultations. If there were any question of any change in the registry's status, we would embark on a full and careful consultation before taking action.

"We are pursuing the same objectives as the last Government – guaranteeing title, improving efficiency, lowering costs and taking advantage of the opportunities provided by the Land Registry system to offer further service to the public."

Source: http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/32715/f/503354/s/13e9f889/l/0L0Sthisisnottingham0O0Cnews0CMP0Es0Efears0Ecity0ELand0ERegistry0Ejobs0Carticle0E340A70A960Edetail0Carticle0Bhtml/story01.htm

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