WIREDGOV

Land Data, formerly C-NLIS, today announced the commencement of a period of consultation regarding the future of the NLIS Channel Licences.

In 2001, four Channel Licences were let by the then Contracting Authority, the Local Government Information House (LGIH), part of the Improvement and Development Agency (IDeA), although only three were subsequently taken up. In 2006, The Council for the National Land (and Property) Information Service (C-NLIS), took over the licences from LGIH in 2006 and launched an OJEC procurement for further NLIS Channel Licences.

The three current NLIS Licenced Channels, which provide access to property search information from all Local Authorities in England and Wales, HM Land Registry and the Coal Authority, are Searchflow, TM Property and Jordans Limited.

The existing NLIS Channel Agreements expire in 2009 and Land Data is keen to elicit feedback on the current model, and also to receive suggestions for possible future improvements, prior to reaching a decision in relation to the future of the NLIS Channels later this year.

Commenting on today's announcement, Land data CEO, Alex Fraser said:

"This consultation exercise is an opportunity for interested parties to provide comment on our current model and future NLIS Channel licences. Land Data is particularly keen to hear the views of current (and ex) clients of NLIS Channels, the NLIS data providers, other search providers and Home Information Pack providers.”

The consultation period closes on 30th September 2008 and a summary of the feedback received will be published on www.land-data.org.uk by early November 2008. All contributions should be sent to trupti.shah@land-data.org.uk and will be treated in strict confidence and will not be reproduced.