(1)There is to continue to be an office called Her Majesty’s Land Registry which is to deal with the business of registration under this Act.
(2)The land registry is to consist of—
(a)the Chief Land Registrar, who is its head, and
(b)the staff appointed by him;
and references in this Act to a member of the land registry are to be read accordingly.
(3)The Lord Chancellor shall appoint a person to be the Chief Land Registrar.
(4)Schedule 7 (which makes further provision about the land registry) has effect.
(1)Any function of the registrar may be carried out by any member of the land registry who is authorised for the purpose by the registrar.
(2)The Lord Chancellor may by regulations make provision about the carrying out of functions during any vacancy in the office of registrar.
(3)The Lord Chancellor may by order designate a particular office of the land registry as the proper office for the receipt of applications or a specified description of application.
(4)The registrar may prepare and publish such forms and directions as he considers necessary or desirable for facilitating the conduct of the business of registration under this Act.
(1)The registrar must make an annual report on the business of the land registry to the Lord Chancellor.
(2)The registrar must publish every report under this section and may do so in such manner as he thinks fit.
(3)The Lord Chancellor must lay copies of every report under this section before Parliament.
The Lord Chancellor may with the advice and assistance of the body referred to in section 127(2) (the Rule Committee), and the consent of the Treasury, by order—
(a)prescribe fees to be paid in respect of dealings with the land registry, except under section 69(3)(b) or 105;
(b)make provision about the payment of prescribed fees.
Schedule 8 (which makes provision for the payment of indemnities by the registrar) has effect.
The registrar may publish information about land in England and Wales if it appears to him to be information in which there is legitimate public interest.
(1)The registrar may provide, or arrange for the provision of, consultancy or advisory services about the registration of land in England and Wales or elsewhere.
(2)The terms on which services are provided under this section by the registrar, in particular terms as to payment, shall be such as he thinks fit.
(1)If the registrar considers it expedient to do so in connection with his functions under section 69(3)(a), 92(1), 94 or 105(1) or paragraph 10 of Schedule 5, he may—
(a)form, or participate in the formation of, a company, or
(b)purchase, or invest in, a company.
(2)In this section—
“company” means a company within the meaning of the Companies Act 1985 (c. 6);
“invest” means invest in any way (whether by acquiring assets, securities or rights or otherwise).
(3)This section is without prejudice to any powers of the registrar exercisable otherwise than by virtue of this section.