A GOVERNMENT privatisation project said to be risking hundreds of North-East jobs has no basis, an MP has claimed.

Labour’s Roberta Blackman-Woods made the comments during a Parliamentary debate on the future of the Land Registry today (Tuesday, February 25).

The Government is consulting on a number of options for the 150-year-old institution, which records land and property information, including part-privatisation and letting a private firm run it as a Government-owned body.

The Land Registry employs 4,500 people including 400 in Dr Blackman-Woods’ Durham City constituency and the MP told today’s Westminster Hall debate: “The Government has failed to provide any evidence for the benefits for their proposed changes.

“In fact, the evidence available suggests there is no basis for future privatisation of the Land Registry.”

The MP said she was very concerned at the proposals, there had been a Land Registry office in Durham for 50 years and it is said to be worth £10m a year to the local economy.

“The Land Registry Office in Durham provides many good quality jobs that we need locally and I don’t want this to be diminished in any way by potential privatisation.

“Over 400 highly skilled staff work at the Durham office and provide a valuable national service that returns considerable value for money to the taxpayer.”

She called on the Government to guarantee the Land Registry would continue to have a presence in Durham.

Business minister Michael Fallon previously said giving the Land Registry more flexibility would allow it to support economic growth, while the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills said full privatisation was not being considered at this stage.

Consultation closes on Thursday, March 20. For more information, visit gov.uk/government/consultations