I move:—
That a supplementary sum not exceeding £2,800 be granted to defray the Charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending 31st March, 1949, for the Salaries and Expenses of the Land Registry (40 & 41 Vict., c. 57; 54 & 55 Vict., c. 66; No. 10 of 1924, sec. 102; and No. 26 of 1942, sec. 22); and of the Registry of Deeds (2 & 3 Will. 4, c. 87; 27 & 28 Vict., c. 76; 38 & 39 Vict., c. 5; and 46 & 47 Vict., c. 20).
The sum required under sub-head A comprises £1,595 to meet the cost of extra posts sanctioned by the Department of Finance to deal with the increased volume of work in the Land Registry consequent upon the stepping up of the vesting of land by the Land Commission and subsequent registrations of the holdings in the Land Registry and for paid overtime to deal with arrears of work.
Under sub-head C a sum of £484 is required to cover claims for compensation pursuant to Section 22 of the Registration of Title Act, 1942 in respect of errors in the Register of the Land Registry. The claims amounted to £339 and costs to almost £150.
A sum of £420 extra is required under sub-head D, to meet the cost of additional assistance and overtime to reduce arrears to abstraction, transcription and comparison of memorials in the Registry of Deeds Office. No provision was made in the Vote for overtime which will cost about £1,000 but the difference between £420 and that figure is offset by savings on vacancies which there was some delay in filling.