REGISTRATION OF DEEDS

5.21 p.m.

The Minister for Law (Mr E.W. Barker): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move the Motion* standing in my name as it appears on the Order Paper.

• The Motion reads as follows:

That this Parliament, pursuant to subsection (2) of section 29 of the Registration of Deeds Act (Chapter 281), resolves that the Registration of Deeds (Amendment) Rules, 1981, published as Notification No. S 337 in the Government Gazette Subsidiary Legislation Supplement No. 51 of 23rd October, 1981, as contained in Paper S.L. 57 of 1981, be approved.

Sir, with the implementation of the Approved Residential Properties Scheme under the Central Provident Fund Act, members of the Fund are allowed withdrawals from the Fund for -

(a) repayment (wholly or in part) of outstanding loans secured by subsisting mort- gages on their residential properties where the loans were previously advanced towards payment of the purchase price of these properties; and/or

(b) in its second phase from January 1982, payment towards the purchase price of any residential properties purchased or to be purchased. Repayment of withdrawals released under this Scheme are required to be secured by statutory charges or mortgages in favour of the Board.

Under section 14(l)(c) of the Registration of Deeds Act, the Registrar has no power to accept statutory charges or mortgages of pans of land lots where survey of those parts has not been approved by the Chief Surveyor. Additional costs will therefore need to be incurred by members of the Fund whose withdrawals have been approved by the Board if a survey has to be carried out by a registered surveyor and survey plans approved by the Chief Surveyor. With the amendment to Rule 13 of the Registration of Deeds Rules, 1979, as now contained in the Registration of Deeds (Amendment) Rules, 1981, presented to this House as SL Paper No. 57 of 1981, the Registrar of Deeds will have the power to accept for registration any notice of any statutory charge or mortgage created under section 14 of the Central Provident Fund Act in respect of any part of Government survey lot (including a flat) shown in an attached plan without requiring the prior approval of the Chief Surveyor. The amendment will benefit the Central Provident Fund members who will not be required to bear the survey costs and at the same time will protect the interests of the Central Provident Fund Board.

Sir, I beg to move.

Question put, and agreed to,

Resolved,

That this Parliament, pursuant to subsection (2) of section 29 of the Registration of Deeds Act (Chapter 281), resolves that the Registration of Deeds (Amendment) Rules, 1981, published as Notification No. S 337 in the Government Gazette Subsidiary Legislation Supplement No. 51 of 23rd October, 1981, as contained in Paper S.L. 57 of 1981, be approved.