Baroness Ashton of Upholland, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs, has given the go-ahead for Land Registry to launch its e-conveyancing pilot service (the system to be used for domestic sales) in October 2007. This follows consultation with stakeholders, who have indicated that the housing market's quieter period between October and January would be the best time to launch the new system. The date has also been chosen to give the industry time to adjust to Home Information Packs, which will be introduced on 1 June 2007.

The 2007 pilot will represent one of a number of incremental steps towards full e-conveyancing.

It will follow the launch of a prototype of the Chain Matrix in 2006, in Bristol, Fareham and Portsmouth.

The Chain Matrix is a key component of the system which will provide information about each transaction in a chain, thereby introducing much greater transparency than at present.

Both exercises will be limited to voluntary users.

Land Registry Chief Executive, Peter Collis said: 'The e-conveyancing programme will be introduced incrementally to the property market and initially on a voluntary basis'.

'It will, nonetheless, be a massive change for everyone involved which makes it important that we proceed in manageable steps and in accordance with a clear timetable'.

'Stakeholder feedback has helped us to identify a preferred date for implementing compulsory use of the electronic system by 2009 or 2010'.

'We will continue to listen to the stakeholder community and to refine our plans as appropriate'.