ENG-2000 — Page 281

LAND, PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES

office on payment of a fee. Direct Access Service, an on-line computer search facility, is also available to subscribers, mainly solicitors and estate agents, enabling them to have direct access to the computerised land registers, to place orders for copies of land records and to obtain copies of imaged documents through their fax machines. A Cross District Search service has also been introduced to enable customers to conduct a one-stop search for properties anywhere in the HKSAR at every search office. Apart from the annual release of the Hong Kong Street Index for urban areas on a CD-ROM, a New Territories Lot/Address Cross Reference Table has also been compiled and released on a CD-ROM in April. This enables users to identify the lot numbers, the available addresses and buildings of New Territories properties more easily. As a future enhancement, the Land Registry issued in September a tender for the 'Colour Imaging of Plans' to convert the existing and incoming plans into colour images direct to enhance efficiency and to improve the quality of the colouring services.

The Land Registry has developed a Strategic Change Plan to transform the department into a world-class registry. The plan envisages the amalgamation of the nine district registration offices into a central registration office to provide services. without geographic restriction. Later it envisages the introduction of a simpler and more secure system of title registration. In May 1999, the Land Registry commissioned a consultant to recommend an Information Systems Strategy. The core strategy recommended the development of an Integrated Registration Information System (IRIS) to replace the existing fragmented computer systems. The new integrated computer system will be developed in two phases: the first phase will correspond to implementation of the Central Registration System; and the second phase is subject to the enactment of the Land Titles Bill. Preparation of the tender document for the first phase of the IRIS is under way.

Land Registration statistics are given in the Appendices.

Government Conveyancing

The Legal Advisory and Conveyancing Office of the Lands Department provides professional legal services to the Government in respect of all government land transactions and associated matters. It is responsible for the drafting of all government land disposal and acquisition documents, the apportionment of government rents (other than rents under the Government Rent (Assessment and Collection) Ordinance) and premia, and the recovery of outstanding arrears of government rents.

It provides conveyancing services to The Financial Secretary Incorporated for the extension of non-renewable leases, and The Secretary for Home Affairs Incorporated for the purchase of accommodation for welfare purposes in private developments.

The office is also responsible for processing applications for the sale of units in uncompleted developments which are subject to the Lands Department Consent Scheme and for the approval of Deeds of Mutual Covenant which, among other things, set out the rights and obligations between the manager and co-owners of a development. In 2000, 26 applications for the sale of units in uncompleted developments involving 15 893 residential units and 53 Deeds of Mutual Covenant were approved.

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