Help Save the Land Registry from private ownership

[Amethyst]

Plans are underway to privatise one of our best-performing public services, the Land Registry - the government body that records the sale of all houses and land. [1]

The Land Registry has a 98% satisfaction rating with people who’ve used it. It’s also entirely self-financing, and passes its profits on in reduced fees. [2] But the sell-off hasn’t hit the headlines, and many of us haven’t even heard about it.

James is a 38 Degrees member, who works for a legal services company and uses the Land Registry on a daily basis. He’s started a petition on Campaigns by You to stop the sell-off and already has strong support from high street solicitors behind the campaign.

But if thousands of 38 Degrees members sign the petition, together we could force the government to scrap their plans. Plans to privatise the Land Registry are being drawn up right now, so if you agree with James, please sign the petition:
https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/LandRegistry

Aside from providing a great service, the Land Registry produces data on house prices, that the government uses to make policy decisions. [3] Privatisation would put this data in the hands of profit-making companies - and could give them influence on government policy.

James, who started the campaign, says:
“The Land Registry is well run, efficient and professional. If the government is to sell off one of our best performing public services, the wider public needs to be able to have its say.”

Together 38 Degrees members can show ministers that we want the Land Registry to stay in public hands. Please click here to sign the petition now:
https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/LandRegistry


Thanks for being involved,

Rebecca, Ali, Becky, Maddy and the 38 Degrees team

[MIKE770]

Re: Help Save the Land Registry from private ownership

Plans are underway to privatise one of our best-performing public services, the Land Registry - the government body that records the sale of all houses and land. [1]

The Land Registry has a 98% satisfaction rating with people who’ve used it. It’s also entirely self-financing, and passes its profits on in reduced fees. [2] But the sell-off hasn’t hit the headlines, and many of us haven’t even heard about it.

James is a 38 Degrees member, who works for a legal services company and uses the Land Registry on a daily basis. He’s started a petition on Campaigns by You to stop the sell-off and already has strong support from high street solicitors behind the campaign.

But if thousands of 38 Degrees members sign the petition, together we could force the government to scrap their plans. Plans to privatise the Land Registry are being drawn up right now, so if you agree with James, please sign the petition:
https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/LandRegistry

Aside from providing a great service, the Land Registry produces data on house prices, that the government uses to make policy decisions. [3] Privatisation would put this data in the hands of profit-making companies - and could give them influence on government policy.

James, who started the campaign, says:
“The Land Registry is well run, efficient and professional. If the government is to sell off one of our best performing public services, the wider public needs to be able to have its say.”

Together 38 Degrees members can show ministers that we want the Land Registry to stay in public hands. Please click here to sign the petition now:
https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/LandRegistry


Thanks for being involved,

Rebecca, Ali, Becky, Maddy and the 38 Degrees team

Done

[des8]

Re: Help Save the Land Registry from private ownership

signed already

[MissFM]

Re: Help Save the Land Registry from private ownership

ditto

[enquirer]

Re: Help Save the Land Registry from private ownership

For such an important matter, the consultation was very short - only 23 Jan 2014 to 20 March 2014.
https://www.gov.uk/government/consul...livery-company

No doubt they already have someone in mind. Some French or German firm? Capita, perhaps?

The prospect of a private firm having power over land titles is very worrying. Retaining your house documents will then be more important than ever - a step right back into history, in fact.

[Wombats]

Re: Help Save the Land Registry from private ownership

Signed already, posted on own site and tweeted! Another government body set up like a lamb to the slaughter.

[silverback12345]

Re: Help Save the Land Registry from private ownership

I signed earlier after I received an email from 38degrees.

[dogtired]

Re: Help Save the Land Registry from private ownership

Signed

[MissFM]

Re: Help Save the Land Registry from private ownership

Yesterday, the Mail on Sunday reported that the Government will scrap its plans to sell off the Land Registry. Sounds like good news - but we haven’t won yet. [1] The Government hasn’t confirmed the story. They say we need to wait until the official consultation is published, before they’ll confirm whether privatisation is off the cards. [2] Over 100,000 38 Degrees members have signed the petition to save the Land Registry. The Mail are saying it’s the sheer number of people against the government’s plans - from ordinary people, to trade unions and civil servants - that’s pushing them to back down. People power is getting to them. So let’s step it up. It seems like they’re finalising the consultation report right now. Together, let’s put the views of thousands of 38 Degrees members in the thick of it - while ministers and department researchers dot the i’s and cross the t’s. 38 Degrees members are handing in the petition to the Department for Business on Wednesday morning. Can you help make the petition as big as possible before it’s handed in? Please share the petition with your family and friends on Facebook now using the button below or just forward this email: SHARE THE PETITION ON FACEBOOK Also, if you're free could you come along on Wednesday to hand in the petition? We’re meeting at 11am outside the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills in London. If you can make it, please RSVP here: COME ALONG TO THE HAND-IN It’s been a brilliant few weeks for 38 Degrees members standing up for our public services. Last week 38 Degrees members helped stop the privatisation of child protection services. And now this. We’ve got a real chance of pushing the government to scrap plans to privatise the Land Registry for good. Let’s pick up the pressure now, and prove once again that when we work together, we can stand up to threats to our public services and win. Thanks for everything you do, Rebecca, Maddy, Robin, Becky and the 38 Degrees team NOTES: [1] Mail on Sunday: Vince Cable scraps £1.2 billion Land Registry sell-off: Civil servant revolt sparks rethink on 'complicated' plan for homes records: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/new...-sell-off.html [2] A spokesperson from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills made this statement when asked: “We have carried out a public consultation on the introduction of a Land Registry service delivery company, which looked at a range of options - including the status quo. We will publish the Government response shortly.”

sounds encouraging

[MissFM]

Re: Help Save the Land Registry from private ownership

Good news update from 38degrees

Fantastic news: the Government has scrapped its plans to sell off the Land Registry. [1] Over 100,000 38 Degrees members signed the petition to save the Land Registry - and together we helped push the government to back down. [2] Taken aback by the sheer number of people against their plans - from ordinary people, to trade unions and civil servants - government sources admitted it would have been “just too complicated” to get a law through to make this happen. [3] James, the 38 Degrees member who started the petition to stop the privatisation of the Land Registry on Campaigns by You says: "The response from 38 Degrees members to the campaign has been fantastic. The Government’s response is a sign of what people can achieve when we get together. The Government would need new legislation if they wanted to privatise the Land Registry - and that’s off the cards now until after the next election. So let’s all raise a glass to a job well done!” It’s been an amazing few weeks for 38 Degrees members fighting for our public services. First, we stopped the privatisation of child protection services - and now we’ve put a stop to the Land Registry sell off. [4] But most 38 Degrees members would agree that it’s no time to rest on our laurels. And the only way we can keep making the case for public services - run for people over profit - is to remain completely independent. That’s why we’re funded by hundreds of thousands of 38 Degrees members who chip in and prioritise the campaigns that we run together. Could you consider setting up a regular direct debit of £3 a week? It only takes a few minutes to set up a direct debit, and there are instructions on the page: Yes, I'll make a regular donation Here’s to the next victory, Rebecca, India, Maddy, Robin and the rest of the 38 Degrees team P.S. Here's a photo of the petition being handed in at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. NOTES: [1] The Guardian: Land Registry privatisation vetoed by Vince Cable: http://www.theguardian.com/politics/...ed-vince-cable Written Ministerial Statement: http://www.parliament.uk/documents/c...ndRegistry.pdf [2] The petition on the Campaigns by You part of the 38 Degrees site: https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitio...-privatisation [3] This is Money: Vince Cable scraps £1.2 billion Land Registry sell-off http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/n...-sell-off.html [4] Coalition Abandons Plans to Privatise UK Land Registry: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/ec996b96-0...#axzz37RuHnqro

[bluebottle]

Re: Help Save the Land Registry from private ownership

Thank goodness for that. The land and property thieves were rubbing their hands with glee at the thought of the LR being privatised as it would have made pulling off land and property fraud far easier. I suspect there are faces in certain places looking like slapped backsides.

Thanks for posting the email up, MissFM. Although I am a 38 Degrees member, I do not appear to have received that particular email.