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WQ.177/2023
WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR HOUSING AND COMMUNITIES
BY DEPUTY M.B. ANDREWS OF ST. HELIER NORTH
QUESTION SUBMITTED ON MONDAY 24th APRIL 2023
ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON TUESDAY 2nd MAY 2023
Question
“Given his response to Oral Question 113/2022 which confirmed the completion of the commissioned report in relation to a Digital Property Register, will the Minister advise what work, if any, has been undertaken to implement a digital register for beneficial ownership, and how soon the register will be fully implemented?”
Answer
The report commissioned by the last Government has been provided to the Scrutiny Panel and published in the reports section of gov.je.
The report indicated significant practical challenges with maintaining a digital register of the ultimate beneficial ownership of residential and commercial properties, especially for properties held by companies, where a transfer of shares can take place without transacting in the court. The report indicated that this would involve very significant cost. As such, it may be that there are better ways to analyse housing ownership composition and trends rather than creating (and crucially, maintaining) a register of the ultimate beneficial ownership of all properties.
Separately, the Chief Minister has committed to a review of extant decisions of the Assembly, so they can be included in the 2024 Government Programme and progressed accordingly, or otherwise brought to the Assembly for rescindment.
This will include determining how to proceed on a digital register of property ownership. Generally, the tracker being developed by the Privileges and Procedures Committee will assist in this regard.
In the meantime, no further specific work has been done, and we do not have an estimate for implementation. Instead, the focus of the government is clearly outlined in the 2023 Ministerial Plans and the legislative programme.