Office of Fair Trading

The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) is to investigate the way property searches are conducted, a part of the conveyancing process which causes many delays. Information is held by a number of bodies including local authorities, the Land Registry, the Register of Scotland, the Environment Agency and the Coal Authority.

In responding to consumer complaints the OFT says that the investigation will focus on how how consumers' needs are met in terms of how information is collected; access is obtained to information; charges for the information; the structure of the market and the regulation of the electronic gateway.

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