Hansard

The Convener Lab

The committee will now take evidence on the Registers of Scotland (Digital Registration, etc) Regulations 2022. I welcome Tom Arthur, who is the Minister for...

The Minister for Public Finance, Planning and Community Wealth (Tom Arthur) SNP

Thank you, convener. I am grateful for the opportunity to appear before the committee to answer questions about the instrument, which relates to land registr...

The Convener Lab

Thank you, minister. Why have the regulations been drafted in such a way that they will come into force, in respect of the presumption, only if new primary ...

Harry Murray (Registers of Scotland)

Yes.

The Convener Lab

Is the minister happy for Harry Murray to answer the question?

Tom Arthur SNP

I am happy for Harry to respond to your question.

Harry Murray

The bill and its interaction with the secondary legislation is ultimately a matter for Parliament, but in relation to the specific technicalities of how they...

The Convener Lab

Mr Fisher, would you like to respond? I want to understand why the regulations come into force only if the new primary legislation successfully replaces the ...

Graham Fisher (Scottish Government)

I am happy to respond, convener. It is for Parliament to consider the bill’s provisions. I appreciate that those were only introduced yesterday and published...

Michelle Thomson SNP

Good morning, minister. I am happy to see that progress is being made. One of the good aspects of Covid is that it has accelerated something that was intende...

Tom Arthur SNP

I thank Michelle Thomson for her support for the measures and for recognising that this is an opportunity to take another step towards a fully digital servic...

The Convener Lab

Please go ahead, Mr Murray.

Harry Murray

I will build on what the minister said. The key point to make is that the development and implementation costs have been identified and the work to provide f...

Alexander Burnett Con

I note my entry in the register of members’ interests in relation to use of the land registry. I welcome the progress on digitisation and the development of ...

Tom Arthur SNP

I thank Mr Burnett for his important questions. As he will be aware, while the system moves to a digital-by-default approach, there are exemptions in the reg...

Harry Murray

Again, I will build on what the minister said. As I explained previously, the digital submission service is limited to existing professional users, who are p...

Alexander Burnett Con

Thank you. To come back to my second question, what analysis will we be able to see of the reporting of the volume of electronic and written submissions? I a...

Harry Murray

The keeper frequently provides statistical analysis from the full range of work that she does. If the committee was interested in having periodic feedback on...

Alexander Burnett Con

I hope that the keeper will note that conversation.

Jamie Halcro Johnston Con

One of my questions has been covered by the answers to Alex Burnett’s questions. As an islander, I am delighted that Harry Murray says that any disadvantages...

Tom Arthur SNP

I agree entirely that there was overwhelming, near-unanimous support. A small proportion of respondents—the figure was less than 10 per cent—raised questions...

Harry Murray

Like the minister, I have never been involved in any form of public consultation that has had such striking support. We were almost having to dig to find any...

Jamie Halcro Johnston Con

Thank you.

The Convener Lab

If there are no further questions from members, we move to agenda item 4, which is the formal debate on the motion. I remind the committee that only members ...

The Convener Lab

No members have indicated that they wish to speak in the debate on the motion. I think that members were content with the question-and-answer session. Motio...

The Convener Lab

I invite the committee to agree that the clerk and I will produce a short factual report on the committee’s decision and arrange to have it published. Membe...

The Convener Lab

I thank the minister and his officials for joining us today. We now move into private session for the remaining items on the agenda. I apologise—I was being ...