Stay up to date with everything happening at Registers of Scotland (RoS) with our monthly update.

This is a bumper edition covering the period from the end of March to the end of May.

Key messages:

• Corporate Plan 2021-2026
• Future of Conveyancing Conference – spaces now limited
• Register Land and Property - update
• New Register of Persons Holding a Controlled Interest in Land
• Equalities mainstreaming report published
• Country of Origin report published
• Moving registration to the Cloud
• Digital submissions consultation - analysis

Corporate Plan

The Corporate Plan 2021 – 2026 was published on 31 March. In the first half of this plan, we will deliver three fundamental pieces of work which will shape our future for years to come.

• Deliver on the benefits of a completed land register
• Deliver an end to end truly digital registration service
• Deliver maximum value from RoS data

Although most cases are completed within service standard, to fully capitalise on these opportunities we need to clear the arrear and ensure it cannot return. To do this we will reduce all pre 2021 arrear cases by between 1000 and 1800 by June 2021 and maintain an average of 60% or above for new applications despatched within 35 days until the end September 2021.

This approach places a stronger emphasis on dealing with new cases more quickly to stem the flow of cases adding to the arrear. Doing so will allow us to ring fence the current backlog and then begin to drive it down. In the meantime, we will ensure customers can get applications completed when they need them by targeting tranches of our oldest cases and continuing to run our expedite service. We will also retain our no rejections beyond three months policy.

Future of Conveyancing Conference – spaces now limited

Over 380 people have already signed up to join us across two mornings in June (Tuesday 15 and Thursday 17) for a virtual conference.

Attendees will have the opportunity to hear from industry experts on some key topics including:

• digital developments
• national and international approaches
• how we can collaborate to overcoming current challenges and establish next steps

We would encourage anyone who has signed up but can no longer attend to release their ticket. We will be running a waitlist once we reach capacity. If you want to be added to the waitlist, contact events@ros.gov.uk.

Register land and property - update

Following the success of our Digital Submission Service we are pleased to announce the next phase in helping us deliver a fully digital registration service - Register land and property (RLP).

RLP significantly reduces the time and effort required to protect and register your deeds.

Find out more about this exciting next phase.

Register of Persons Holding a Controlled Interest in Land (RCI)

We’ve updated our website with an introduction to our upcoming Register of Persons Holding a Controlled Interest in Land.

Watch this short video to find out more.

Equalities mainstreaming report 2019-21

With strong support from our wider Executive team and Board members, we have begun a refreshed approach to Equality Diversity and Inclusion within RoS.

Read our latest Equalities Mainstreaming report to find out how we have performed on our previous goals and our new plans for the future.

Country of Origin report

The latest Country of Origin report is now available. It provides statistical information on the country of origin of property owners and tenants in Scotland as of 31 December 2020.

The Country of Origin Company report is also available. You can buy this report to find details of registered titles owned by or leased to companies outside of the UK. Email data@ros.gov.uk to order your copy.

Moving registration to the Cloud

Since 2019 we have been working on a transformative strategy to move our registration services to the cloud. In this short blog, our Head of IT Service Paul Christie sets out where we are on this journey.

Digital submission consultation analysis

The response to our digital submission consultation was overwhelmingly positive. The analysis is now available. It reflects the range of views expressed by respondents on the 16 questions asked and, where appropriate, includes our response to the key issues and suggestions raised.

Contact us

For general enquiries or specific questions about an application contact:

Email: customerservices@ros.gov.uk Phone: 0800 169 9391

If there are is anything else you would like to bring to my attention during this period, please email FAO Jennifer Henderson: rossecretariat@ros.gov.uk