Category: Gov Press Releases

In the dataset you can find the date of sale for each property, its full address and sale price, its category (residential or commercial) and type (detached, semi-detached, terraced, flat or maisonette and other), whether it is new build or not and whether it is freehold or leasehold.

The number of sales received for registration by property type and month

Property type	March 2018	February 2018	January 2018
Detached	20,144	19,174	25,932
Semi-detached	22,040	20,725	29,282
Terraced	23,036	21,462	30,741
Flat/maisonette	18,253	17,842	22,887
Other	6,811	6,046	7,953
Total	90,284	85,249	116,795

Of the 90,284 sales received for registration in March 2018:

• 65,558 were freehold, a 3.4% decrease on March 2017
• 16,355 were newly built, a 10% increase on March 2017

There is a time difference between the sale of a property and its registration at HM Land Registry.

Of the 90,284 sales received for registration, 25,075 took place in March 2018 of which:

• 463 were of residential properties in England and Wales for £1 million and over
• 275 were of residential properties in Greater London for £1 million and over
• 1 was of a residential property in Birmingham for £1 million and over
• 4 were of residential properties in Greater Manchester for £1 million and over

The most expensive residential sale taking place in March 2018 was of a detached property in the Barnet, Greater London for £15,000,000. The cheapest residential sale in March 2018 was of a terraced property in Bishop Auckland, County Durham for £20,000.

The most expensive commercial sale taking place in March 2018 was in the City of London, for £154,000,000. The cheapest commercial sale in March 2018 was in Bury St Edmonds for £100.

Access the full dataset

Notes to editors

1. Price Paid Data is published at 11am on the 20th working day of each month. The next dataset will be published on Wednesday 30 May 2018.
2. Price Paid Data is property price data for all residential and commercial property sales in England and Wales that are lodged with HM Land Registry for registration in that month, subject to exclusions.
3. The amount of time between the sale of a property and the registration of this information with HM Land Registry varies. It typically ranges between two weeks and two months. Data for the two most recent months is therefore incomplete and does not give an indication of final monthly volumes. Occasionally the interval between sale and registration is longer than two months. The small number of sales affected cannot be updated for publication until the sales are lodged for registration.
4. Price Paid Data categories are either Category A (Standard entries) which includes single residential properties sold for full market value or Category B (Additional entries) for example sales to a company, buy-to-lets where they can be identified by a mortgage and repossessions.
5. HM Land Registry has been collecting information on Category A sales from January 1995 and on Category B sales from October 2013.
6. Price Paid Data can be downloaded in text, CSV format and in a machine readable format as linked data and is released under Open Government Licence (OGL). Under the OGL, HM Land Registry permits the use of Price Paid Data for commercial or non-commercial purposes. However, the OGL does not cover the use of third party rights, which HM Land Registry is not authorised to license.
7. The Price Paid Data report builder allows users to build bespoke reports using the data. Reports can be based on location, estate type, price paid or property type over a defined period of time.
8. HM Land Registry’s mission is to guarantee and protect property rights in England and Wales.
9. HM Land Registry is a government department created in 1862. It operates as an executive agency and a trading fund and its running costs are covered by the fees paid by the users of its services. Its ambition is to become the world’s leading land registry for speed, simplicity and an open approach to data.
10. HM Land Registry safeguards land and property ownership worth in excess of £4 trillion, including around £1 trillion of mortgages. The Land Register contains more than 25 million titles showing evidence of ownership for some 85% of the land mass of England and Wales.
11. For further information about HM Land Registry visit www.gov.uk/land-registry.
12. Follow us: on Twitter@HMLandRegistry, our blog, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Wales is poised to tap straight into one of the world’s fastest growing economies with a new flight from Cardiff to Doha, the Secretary of State for Wales has said.

Alun Cairns spoke as he today (Sunday April 29th) began a two-day visit to the Kuwait and Qatar. The visit culminates with the Secretary of State joining the first direct flight from the Qatari capital to Cardiff on May 1, operated by national carrier Qatar Airways.

Mr Cairns is meeting Government Ministers from both Gulf states in a packed programme which starts in Kuwait before transferring to Qatar later today. He will also meet business people ranging from bank chief executives to the largest shareholder in luxury car maker Aston Martin and the head of Qatar’s biggest hospitality and hotel group.

The visit concludes with the Secretary of State boarding a Qatar Airways Airbus 350 – with wings made at the Airbus plant in North Wales – which will land at Cardiff Airport just before 1pm after a flight lasting 6 hours 50 mins. It will mark the first daily flight between the two cities.

Mr Cairns said:

Wales is on the fast track to new opportunities in the Gulf. The new flight from Cardiff to Doha plugs our entrepreneurs straight into one of the most dynamic economies in the Middle East, and an airport which offers a further 150 global destinations.

Qatar wants to diversify its economy away from oil and gas and branch out into healthcare, education, sporting events and other areas. This presents unparalleled opportunities as these are all growth areas for Wales – our financial services sector in Cardiff is one of the fastest growing outside of London, we have outstanding universities with global keen to take Qatari students, we have a world-renowned tourism sector and a proven ability to host international sports events.

The inaugural flight from Cardiff to Doha is the culmination of months of UK Government work both in public and behind the scenes. The Secretary of State for Wales discussed the ambition for a daily flight more than a year ago when he met Qatar Airways chief executive Akbar Al Baker at a UK investment summit.

The growing links between the two countries were underlined last September by the UK Government trade mission to Qatar, which concluded in a 20-minute display by the Red Arrows over Doha.

Mr Cairns added:

Wales is now intent on joining the Premier League of countries trading in the Gulf. Visitors arriving on the daily flight from Doha will get a warm welcome and a clear message – this is a country with open skies, and open for business.

Notes to editors:

• While in the Gulf, the Secretary of State is meeting Ministers responsible for commerce, the environment, education, financial services, Welsh business figures in the region and Qatari alumni of Welsh universities.
• The visit to Kuwait involves a meeting with financier Najeeb Al-Humaidhi, the largest shareholder in Aston Martin UK who also sits on the company’s main board. The luxury car company is to produce its DBX car at St Athan in Wales.
• The flight is due to arrive at Cardiff Airport at 12.50 UK time
• Qatar is already big business for the UK. Last year, the Welsh economy exported more than £150 million worth of goods to Qatar. From manufacturing to our famous foodstuffs, Welsh products are being shipped in big quantities to Qatar.
• Qatar has already invested more than £35bn into the UK economy.

ENDS

A Downing Street spokesperson said:

The Prime Minister held separate phone calls with the French President Emmanuel Macron and the German Chancellor Angela Merkel yesterday and this morning.

They discussed the importance of the Iran nuclear deal (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) as the best way of neutralising the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran, agreeing that our priority as an international community remained preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.

They agreed that there were important elements that the deal does not cover, but which we need to address – including ballistic missiles, what happens when the deal expires, and Iran’s destabilising regional activity.

Acknowledging the importance of retaining the JCPoA, they committed to continue working closely together and with the US on how to tackle the range of challenges that Iran poses – including those issues that a new deal might cover.

They also noted the vital importance of our steel and aluminium industries and their concern about the impact of US tariffs. The leaders pledged to continue to work closely with the rest of the EU and the US Administration with the aim of a permanent exemption from US tariffs.

Finally, they all agreed on the value of continued engagement in the E3 format (Britain, France and Germany) to advance our shared interests and our security.

Measures to crack down on the abuse of a specialised financial arrangement to launder dirty foreign money through the UK will be unveiled tomorrow (30 April), as part of a package of Government reforms.

Scottish Limited Partnerships (SLPs) and Limited Partnerships (LPs) are used by thousands of legitimate British businesses, particularly the private equity and pensions industry, to invest more than £30 billion a year in the UK. SLPs and LPs are business entities created by two or more partners where at least one partner is liable for what they invest.

However, evidence to be published tomorrow shows the growing evidence SLPs have been exploited in complex money laundering schemes, including one which involved using over 100 SLPs to move up to $80 billion out of Russia. They have also been linked to international criminal networks in Eastern Europe and around the world, and have allegedly been used in arms deals.

Business Minister Andrew Griffiths said:

The UK has taken a leading role in the fight against money laundering and is known internationally as a great place to work, invest and do business.

But Scottish Limited Partnerships are being abused to carry out all manner of crimes abroad – from foreign money laundering to arms dealing.

This simply cannot continue to go unchecked and these reforms will improve their transparency and subject them to more stringent checks to ensure they can continue to be used as a legitimate way for investors and pension funds to invest in the UK.

Figures published for the launch of a government consultation tomorrow, show just five frontmen were responsible for over half of 6,800 SLPs registered between January 2016 and mid-May 2017. By June 2017, 17,000 SLPs, over half of all SLPs, were registered at just 10 addresses.

The consultation seeks views on a number of reforms to ensure SLPs can continue to be used as a legitimate vehicle for investment and enhance our world-leading business environment – a key part of our modern Industrial Strategy.

The proposals would make it clearer who runs limited partnerships to enable British investors to continue to use them legitimately and invest in the UK while cracking down on their use in unlawful activities. These include:

• requiring a real connection to the UK, including ensuring SLPs do business or maintain a service address in Scotland;
• registering new SLPs through a company formation agent, meaning frontmen will be subjected to anti-money laundering checks;
• new powers for Companies House to remove limited partnerships from the company register if they are dissolved or are no longer operating.

The reforms being proposed will apply to all limited partnerships in the UK and will also include new annual reporting requirements for limited partnerships in England and Wales and Northern Ireland, which will help Companies House ensure they comply with the law.

Last year, the Government introduced laws requiring SLPs to report their beneficial owner and make their ownership structure more transparent, seeing an 80% reduction in the number registered and tomorrow’s reforms seek to raise standards further.

The UK is already taking a leading role on the world stage to improve corporate transparency and was recognised by Transparency International as one of only four G20 countries with the highest rating for cracking down on anonymous company ownership.

The UK has worked to improve transparency and tackle money laundering through:

• introducing draft laws this summer for a world-first public register which will require overseas companies that own or buy property in the UK to provide details of their ultimate owners;
• making the UK’s company register public in 2015, making it one of the most open and transparency company registers in the world – viewed two billion times last year – meaning company information is under constant scrutiny;
• introducing a register of People of Significant Control in 2016, which now includes 4.6 million names. The register was expanded in 2017 to include Scottish Limited Partnerships;
• the Criminal Finances Act 2017, which provided additional powers to allow law enforcement agencies to identify and recover corrupt and criminal funds from those seeking to hide, use or move them in the UK;
• introducing unexplained wealth orders which can be used to compel individuals to explain the sources of their wealth – so people who we think have links to organised crime have to prove where their assets come from.

Notes to editors

1. Scottish Limited Partnerships are a business entity provided for in UK law. Limited Partnerships are formed by at least two partners, one of which must be a general partner – who is liable for any debts incurred – and one limited Partner – who has limited liability but cannot play a role in how the partnership is run. Scottish Limited Partnerships differ to Limited Partnerships elsewhere in the UK as they have legal personality, which allows them to enter into contracts, take on debts or own property. In a Limited Partnership in England and Wales or Northern Ireland, this is done by the partners.

Following the publication of the Ministry of Justice’s Review of Law, Policy and Procedure Relating to Parole Decisions, Chief Executive, Martin Jones said:

“The Parole Board welcomes the change to the Parole Board rule to allow for the greater transparency of the parole process, which we have called for previously.

“We will be carefully considering all the implications of the review and will be responding to the consultation about the potential introduction of a reconsideration mechanism while also preserving the independence of the Parole Board.

“We agree that there is scope for further changes to the Rules to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the parole process and we will be working closely with the Ministry of Justice to make appropriate changes.”

Notes to Editors:

The Parole Board’s response to the review can be found here

Justice Secretary David Gauke ordered a review of Parole Board processes in January, with the purpose of increasing its transparency, restoring public confidence, and improving the treatment of victims. The findings of the urgent review have been published alongside a comprehensive package of reforms that include:

• Initial legislation to immediately remove the ‘blanket ban’ on transparency and a change in the rules to allow the Parole Board to explain its decisions to victims, media and the public
• Proposals to, for the first time, allow Parole Board decisions to be challenged through a judge-led process that could in some circumstances be open to the public
• Immediate changes to expand the Victim Contact Scheme to include more people and to improve the way the department communicates with victims

One immediate result of this work is the introduction of transparency to the parole process by amending Rule 25 to remove the blanket ban that prevents the Parole Board from disclosing information about its decision-making.

This change will also require the Parole Board to provide an overview of the arguments it heard in a case, the recommendations of expert witnesses, the offender’s progress and risk factors, the evidence provided by the offender and the reasons for the panel’s decision.

The removal of the ‘blanket ban’ and amending Rule 25 is an immediate first step on transparency which ensures compliance with the ruling of the Judicial Review of the Worboys case. But we will not stop there.

The department will carefully assess the impact this has on the Parole Board’s operation, on offenders, and on victims, including whether there are legal challenges, with a view to increasing transparency further, for example potentially automatically publishing summaries online.

We will also consider, as set out in the Terms of Reference for the wider Parole Board Review, whether information about panel members and other details should in some situations be made public.

Increasing transparency was always a priority for the review, but the Justice Secretary has also committed to much wider reforms. This includes a proposal for a new mechanism to force the Parole Board to reconsider a decision, ensuring that victims do not have to resort to Judicial Review to make the Parole Board look at a case again.

This change will be subject to a consultation launched today, but it is envisaged that the reconsideration would be led by a judge and oral hearings would be open to victims, media and the public.

The Parole Board’s decision to release John Worboys made clear the urgent need to overhaul the process of providing information to victims.

As a result, numerous changes will be made to the Victim Contact Service (VCS) service, including extending it to victims of more types of offences, for example road traffic offences resulting in serious injury, and to victims in cases where a serious charge lies on file but has not resulted in a conviction.

Immediate improvements will also be made to the VCS, including new training for Victim Liaison Officers, better working with other agencies to ensure services are more joined up and making it easier for victims to opt in to the scheme at a later stage in the offender’s sentence.

At the same time, the department will explore the potential for changing the scheme so that victims are asked at the beginning to opt-out if they don’t want to be kept informed, rather than to opt-in if they do.

Justice Secretary David Gauke said:

Today I am announcing a package of measures to reform the Parole Board and introduce transparency of its decisions. But we are going further and consulting on a new way to challenge Parole Board decisions that would be judge-led and could, in some circumstances, be open to the public. And we’re not stopping there.

Today I also produce the terms of reference for our comprehensive review of the entire Parole Board, including whether we should in some circumstances name panel members, whether we should define the panel composition and what kinds of further scrutiny measures should be introduced.

We will also improve the process for victims, who in this case were clearly let down. It is my ambition that the outcome of this process will mean victims have more confidence in the system.

We have moved at pace to address the shortcomings of the Parole system which the Worboys case has brought to light. But we must take a balanced approach. I am determined to lead a thorough reform process, the first action of which we launched today.

Also published today are the terms of reference for the full review of all 27 Parole Board rules. The terms of reference allow for consideration of whether certain panels should include a judge or psychiatrist, how the Board’s decisions should be scrutinised internally before a decision is finalised and how further improvements can be made to transparency. The findings of this work will be published later this year.

The consultation on a re-consideration mechanism for Parole Board decisions will close in July. The department particularly welcomes submissions from victims and those who have experience of the Parole process.

• £23 million programme to support the brightest pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds to reach their potential
• Applications open for organisations to manage fund, which runs until 2020

New work to raise education standards for the country’s brightest pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds will begin today (27 April) as Education Minister Nick Gibb invites organisations to manage new funding designed to support their academic attainment.

The £23 million Future Talent Fund programme will test new and innovative ways of helping the most talented disadvantaged pupils to remain on their high performing trajectory and prevent them falling behind their more affluent peers.

The new fund manager will run and evaluate a trial of projects from January 2019 which will help all schools to support their most able, disadvantaged pupils – to address the drop off in academic performance between key stage 2 and key stage 4.

This will help to build on the government’s record, with 1.9 million more children now in good or outstanding schools than in 2010 and the attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers narrowing by 10% at secondary and 10.5% at primary since 2011.

School Standards Minister Nick Gibb said,

Academic standards are rising, with 1.9 million more children in good or outstanding schools than 2010 and importantly, the gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers narrowing. But we want to make sure every child reaches their full potential and is not held back because of their circumstances.

Through this Future Talent Fund we will test new and innovative approaches so that we can find out what works best to ensure the brightest pupils from the most disadvantaged families can excel in their education.

Today’s announcement builds on wider efforts to support disadvantaged pupils and raise standards across the country, including:

• £72 million to support 12 Opportunity Areas to improve the life chances of young people in disadvantaged communities;
• The government’s social mobility action plan Unlocking Talent, Fulfilling Potential which focuses £800million of resources on helping children make the most of their lives; and
• 75 projects sharing £25million to provide more support for schools, many of which will increase pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills, and help to the attainment gap.

The £23 million programme will deliver at least 30 trial projects between January 2019 and July 2020 following two bidding rounds. The scheme will champion best practice and encourage evidence-led interventions, including those that could be funded by schools using their Pupil Premium funding.

In the autumn, a variety of organisations will be eligible to apply for the funding. This will include state-funded schools and multi academy trusts, charities and research organisations, independent schools and universities. Projects supported by the fund must be delivered in non-selective, state-funded secondary schools in England and will cover at least one of the following strands of work:

• Curriculum: such as broadening or deepening what is covered in the curriculum;
• Pedagogy: for example, individualised teaching, the use of digital technology or feedback;
• Parental involvement: which could include aspiration interventions, engagement through technology or behavioural insight techniques;
• Mentoring and tutoring: including academic mentoring, community based mentoring, school based mentoring, one-to-one tuition, group tuition or peer tutoring;
• Transition between key stages: such as summer schools or transition practices in schools; and
• Enrichment activities: which could include after-school classes, extra-curricular activities or visits.

Academic standards are rising following the introduction of a more rigorous school curriculum and gold standard GCSEs and A levels to bring our education system level with the best in the world. Latest performance data shows:

• In 2017 72% met the expected standard in reading, 75% in maths and 77% in grammar, punctuation and spelling at KS2 and overall, the proportion reaching the expected standard has improved by 8 percentage points on the previous year;
• The attainment gap between disadvantaged secondary school pupils and their peers has narrowed by 3.2% since last year and 10% since 2011; and
• More pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds, Special Educational Needs (SEN) pupils and pupils on free school meals are being entered for English Baccalaureate (EBacc) subjects compared to last year, ensuring pupils have the knowledge and skills they need for future success.

Secretary of State Esther McVey has announced to Parliament today (27 April 2018) that support for children who may otherwise be in local authority care is to be extended in Universal Credit and Child Tax Credit.

Currently, the policy provides support in Universal Credit and Child Tax Credit for a maximum of 2 children in a household unless exceptions apply, to ensure parents in receipt of benefits face the same choices as those supporting themselves solely through work. Child Benefit continues to be paid regardless of family size.

The government recognises that in some situations parents cannot make the same choices about the number of children in their household. We have introduced a number of exceptions for third or subsequent children in those cases, for example multiple births, adoption and children who would otherwise be taken into care but instead are looked after by a non-parental carer. This may be where a family member has stepped in to care for children.

For these children who may otherwise be taken into local authority care, the exceptions will be extended to provide support for them regardless of the order in which they entered the household.

Secretary of State Esther McVey said:

I have been reviewing this issue carefully since becoming Secretary of State a few months ago.

Adoptive parents and non-parental carers, known as ‘kinship carers’, have often stepped in to help a family member or close friend in times of need. They have provided support and provided a home for a child in need. It is therefore right that Government supports them in doing so. That is why today I am extending the existing
support for children and families in these circumstances.

The role these parents play in helping to bring up these children is invaluable, and I want to reassure such parents that this change ensures support will be made available to you, and this government is backing you.

Universal Credit is a brand new benefit, that is flexible and responsive, so as we begin to deliver it across the country we are taking a test and learn approach, and if need be, adapting where necessary. This is precisely what we have done here to make sure there is support given where it is needed most.

The government welcomed last week’s High Court judgment that overall the policy to provide support for a maximum of 2 children was lawful, and said it was carefully considering it. This change goes further than the court’s judgment to include adopted children as well as children who are in non-parental caring arrangements.

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Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said:

I welcome the announcement that the two Koreas will work towards the complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearisation of North Korea, improve bilateral ties and reduce border tensions.

This historic summit is not the end in itself. There are still many questions to be answered. Kim Jong Un’s commitment to halt all nuclear and intercontinental and intermediate range ballistic missiles tests is a positive step. We hope this indicates an intention to negotiate in good faith and that Kim has heeded the clear message to North Korea that only a change of course can bring the security and prosperity it claims to seek.

The UK will continue to work with our international partners to strictly enforce existing sanctions until such time that North Korea turns its commitments into concrete steps towards denuclearisation.

Further information

• Follow the Foreign Secretary on Twitter @BorisJohnson and Facebook
• Follow the Foreign Office on Twitter @foreignoffice and Facebook
• Follow the Foreign Office on Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn

The news came as the Minister spoke in Birmingham today (27 April) at Naidex, Europe’s largest assistive technology conference.

Access to Work provides financial support to ensure someone’s disability or health condition does not hold them back at work, and can cover assistive technology, workplace adaptations, transport and interpreters.

Previously, medium and large employers were required to pay a mandatory contribution towards the cost of assistive technology required by disabled employees.

As part of the government’s drive to ensure disabled people can benefit from the latest advances in technology, this cost will now be waived for all employers under the new Tech Fund.

The Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work, Sarah Newton, said:

We know that assistive technology has the power to transform lives, helping to break down the barriers disabled people can face at work and so many other areas of their everyday lives.

Access to Work is providing support to disabled people across the country, and I hope that through the new Tech Fund more disabled people and their employers will be able to benefit from advances in assistive technology that can help create more inclusive workplaces.

Employers will be able to make a significant saving through the Tech Fund. Before the new rules were introduced, medium employers paid the first £500 towards technological solutions and large employers paid the first £1,000, with both paying 20% of the cost thereafter up to £10,000.

Paul Luigi Giuntini is a social worker from Scotland who is registered blind and has one hand. Through Access to Work, Paul is able to fund cutting edge assistive technology to help him do his job.

Paul’s support includes Orcam, a lightweight camera which clips onto the wearer’s glasses that can recognise faces and read from any surface in real time.

Paul said:

Access to Work funding is essential for disabled people, as it helps reduce the barriers and difficulties that disabled people face in trying to get into and maintain full-time employment.

Without the support of Access to Work, I would not have been able to obtain and sustain my current employment. I believe that this funding should be promoted so that disabled people are given every opportunity to improve their life situation.

More information

Access to Work is part of a range of support available to ensure that disabled people can enter, and thrive in, the workplace. This includes supported work experience placements, the government’s Disability Confident scheme and personalised support package.

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