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[:zh]以下是今日（五月二十五日）在立法會會議上謝偉銓議員的提問和發展局局長陳茂波的書面答覆：
問題：
本會在二○○四年七月七日制定的《土地業權條例》（第585章）於同月二十三日刊憲。第585章旨在建立將土地業權及規限持有土地的土地權益註冊的新制度，取代契據註冊制度，使土地擁有權和物業業權更加明確，並精簡物業轉易程序。當局在有關的條例草案審議期間曾建議，第585章在制定兩年後才實施，以便當局有充足時間訂立有關規例，並敲定向法律執業者和市民大眾提供的指南。當局亦承諾會在該兩年內對第585章進行檢討。然而，第585章由制訂至今已近12年但仍未實施，因此業權註冊制度實施無期。就此，政府可否告知本會：
（一）當局至今仍未實施第585章和業權註冊制度的原因；上述檢討工作的最新進展為何，包括有哪些具體問題尚未解決、有關的原因，以及預計何時可以解決該等問題；
（二）有否就實施第585章和業權註冊制度訂定時間表；若有，詳情為何，包括會否在實施前進行公眾諮詢；若否，原因為何，以及當局有否計劃把第585章和業權註冊制度擱置；
（三）有否評估遲遲未實施第585章和業權註冊制度對物業轉易及保障業權人權益帶來的影響，尤其是涉及新界的土地和物業；若有評估，結果為何，以及可否提供有關的量化資料；及
（四）鑑於當局曾表示有需要訂明一個釐定土地界線制度，適用於《土地註冊條例》（第128章）規管的土地和根據第585章註冊的土地，有關工作的最新進展為何；鑑於香港測量師學會曾就釐定土地界線制度提出多項建議，包括在《土地測量條例》（第473章）下設立釐定土地界線及為土地界線圖正式註冊的法定架構，以及在土地測量監督下設置一個土地界線紀錄系統等，當局會否接納有關建議；若會，詳情及推行時間表為何；若否，原因為何？
答覆：
主席：
立法會於二○○四年七月通過制定《土地業權條例》（第585章）（《條例》），條例旨在建立以業權註冊紀錄作為註冊土地業權及權益不可推翻的證據的新制度，取代現時並無保證業權的契約註冊制度，從而使物業業權更為明確，並簡化在物業轉易時查核業權文件的程序。由於《條例》草案在審議期間曾作出重大的改變，政府當年因應相關法案委員會的要求，在《條例》生效前會對《條例》進行全盤檢討，並會考慮對《條例》作進一步修訂。
土地註冊處於《條例》制定後成立「《土地業權條例》督導委員會」和「《土地業權條例》檢討委員會」，分別負責督導及進行《條例》的檢討工作。督導委員會由土地註冊處處長擔任主席，並由發展局、地政總署、律政司、香港律師會、香港大律師公會、香港地產建設商會、香港銀行公會、香港按揭證券有限公司、地產代理監管局、消費者委員會和鄉議局這些主要持份者之代表組成。檢討工作顯示，《條例》需作大幅修訂才可實施。
土地註冊處一直恆常透過網站發布及更新有關《條例》制定後的檢討及其他籌備工作進度的資訊。政府亦不時透過不同途徑向立法會匯報有關工作進度，當中包括在二○○九年三月至二○一一年六月期間由發展事務委員會與司法及法律事務委員會為《條例》成立的聯合小組委員會（聯委會）。聯委會同意政府可就《條例》所需的修訂制定全盤建議並完成諮詢工作後，再向發展事務委員會和司法及法律事務委員會匯報工作進度及相關建議。
就問題的四個部分，現回覆如下：
（一）及（二）如上述，《條例》制定後進行的檢討工作顯示，《條例》需作大幅修訂才可生效。《條例》生效前需處理多個複雜問題，當中包括土地由舊制度轉至新制度的轉換機制。《條例》制定時公眾傾向以較為簡易清晰的「白晝轉換」機制（即《條例》生效後第12年結束時自動一舉轉制）處理改制安排。然而，自動轉制或影響登記冊業權不清的土地業權，亦令土地註冊處須負起賠償因日後發現業權註冊紀錄不準確而導致某方權益受損或無效的法律責任。為管理風險及保障處方有足夠營運基金應對索償，《條例》需加入土地註冊處處長可就業權不清個案註冊「抗完全轉換警告書」機制，使相關土地暫時不會被自動轉制而影響業權及權益。在此機制下，我們認為需對現存登記冊進行基本的表面查核，但進行查核涉及大量資源，而持份者對是否進行查核仍未有共識。
此外，根據《條例》現時的條文，如有業權擁有人因轉制後發生的欺詐而在不知情下失去業權，法庭須頒令更正業權註冊紀錄以恢復其業權；而不知情的買方會獲得由「土地業權彌償基金」支付設有上限的彌償（稱為「強制更正規則」）。有持份者反對「強制更正規則」，認為這規則會影響公眾對業權註冊紀錄能否作為業權不可推翻的證據的信心，而審慎的買家最終仍會在物業交易前翻查業權歷史，令《條例》無法達到其原來目的；但亦有持份者認為有必要保留該規則，令欺詐個案中的前業權擁有人可以取回物業。另一方面，有持份者對彌償設有上限有所保留。鑑於持份者的不同意見，土地註冊處目前正探討可行的折衷方案。
我們會繼續與各主要持份者保持緊密聯繫，並因應收到的意見，致力就《條例》所需的修訂尋求共識，並根據此共識在適當時間就修改法例的建議進行公眾諮詢。由於所涉問題十分複雜，而持份者的意見分歧，我們現時未有實施《條例》的時間表。
（三）如上述，《條例》旨在使物業業權更為明確，並簡化在物業轉易時查核業權文件的程序。在《條例》實施前，各持份者可繼續沿用現時的契約註冊制度。契約註冊制度已運作多年，相關業界對制度十分熟悉，繼續沿用這制度不會對物業轉易和保障業權擁有人權益造成影響。
（四）香港測量師學會早前就處理土地界線釐定的問題，向發展局提出有關修訂《土地測量條例》（第473章）的建議。由於有關建議涉及複雜法律及土地政策事項，當局需要詳細研究及考慮，現時未有就有關工作定下時間表。 完
完
２０１６年５月25日（星期三）
香港時間１4時36分[:en]Following is a question by the Hon Tony Tse and a written reply by the Secretary for Development, Mr Paul Chan, in the Legislative Council today (May 25):
Question:
The Land Titles Ordinance (Cap. 585) enacted by this Council on July 7, 2004 was gazetted on the 23rd of the same month. Cap. 585 aims to replace the deeds registration system with a new system for registering the title to land and the interests in the land subject to which the title is held, so as to provide greater certainty to both the ownership of land and title to property, and simplify property conveyancing procedures. During the scrutiny of the relevant bill, the authorities proposed that Cap. 585 be implemented two years after its enactment so as to allow sufficient time for the authorities to enact the relevant regulations and to finalise the guidance notes for legal practitioners and members of the public. The authorities also undertook to conduct a review of Cap. 585 during the two-year period. However, Cap. 585 has not yet been implemented after almost 12 years since its enactment. The implementation of the title registration system has thus been held off indefinitely. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) of the reasons why the authorities have not yet implemented Cap. 585 and the title registration system; the latest progress of the aforesaid review, including the specific problems that have yet to be solved and the relevant reasons, as well as the expected time when such problems can be solved;
(2) whether it has set a timetable for the implementation of Cap. 585 and the title registration system; if it has, of the details, including whether public consultation will be conducted before the implementation; if it has not set a timetable, the reasons for that, and whether the authorities have plans to shelve Cap. 585 and the title registration system;
(3) whether it has assessed the impacts of the long delay in implementing Cap. 585 and the title registration system on property conveyancing and protection of the interests of property owners, especially those interests involved in the land and properties in the New Territories; if it has assessed, of the outcome, and whether it will provide the relevant quantified information; and
(4) as the authorities have indicated the need to provide for a system for determination of land boundaries applicable to the land governed by the Land Registration Ordinance (Cap. 128) and the land registered under Cap. 585, of the latest progress of the relevant work; as the Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors has put forward a number of recommendations on the system for determination of land boundaries, including establishing a legal framework for determination of land boundaries and proper registration of land boundary plans under the Land Survey Ordinance (Cap. 473), as well as setting up a land boundary records system under the Land Survey Authority, etc., whether the authorities will accept such recommendations; if they will, of the details and implementation timetable; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
President,
In July 2004, the Legislative Council passed the Land Titles Ordinance (Chapter 585) (the LTO). The LTO aims to replace the present deeds registration system that gives no guarantee to titles with a new system to be established under which the Title Register would be conclusive evidence of the titles to and the interests in registered land, with a view to providing greater certainty to property titles and simplifying the procedures of checking title documents upon conveyancing. As significant changes had been made to the Land Titles Bill during scrutiny, the Government undertook at the request of the relevant Bills Committee to conduct a full review and consider making further amendments to the LTO before its commencement.
The Land Registry established an LTO Steering Committee and an LTO Review Committee respectively to steer and carry out the review of the LTO after its enactment. The Steering Committee was chaired by the Land Registrar, with membership drawn from the Development Bureau, the Lands Department, the Department of Justice, and major stakeholders, namely the Law Society of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Bar Association, the Real Estate Developers Association of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Association of Banks, the Hong Kong Mortgage Corporation Ltd, the Estate Agents Authority, the Consumer Council and the Heung Yee Kuk. The review found that substantial amendments to the LTO were required before commencement of the title registration system.
The Land Registry has been publishing and updating information on the progress of the post-enactment review and other preparatory work for the LTO on its website. The Government has also been reporting the progress to the Legislative Council from time to time through various channels, including the Joint Sub-committee formed by the Panel on Development and the Panel on Administration of Justice and Legal Services on the LTO during March 2009 to June 2011. The Joint Sub-committee considered it appropriate for the Government to report the work progress to the Panel on Development and the Panel on Administration of Justice and Legal Services after the Government has drawn up with the full package of proposals on the necessary amendments to the LTO and consulted the public on the proposals.
The reply to the four parts of the question is as follows:
(1) and (2) As mentioned above, the post-enactment review found that the LTO would require substantial amendments before its commencement in order to resolve various complex issues, including the conversion mechanism for existing land under the new system. The public was inclined to prefer using the “daylight conversion” mechanism (i.e. automatic conversion at the end of 12 years after commencement of the LTO), which was simpler and clearer. However, automatic conversion might affect the titles to land the registers of which show indeterminate ownership, and cause the Land Registry to be legally liable for any interest lost or invalidated as a result of inaccuracies in the Title Register. In order to manage the conversion liabilities and protect the Registry's trading fund to meet any indemnity claims, it is necessary to introduce a mechanism for the Land Registrar to register caution against conversion, such that the titles of the relevant properties with indeterminate ownership would not be affected by the automatic conversion. Under such mechanism, the Land Registry would have to carry out basic visual inspection of apparent problems in the existing registers, which has significant resource implications, and there has yet to be consensus on whether inspection should be carried out.
Moreover, under the enacted provisions of the LTO, the court shall order the rectification of the Title Register in favour of a former innocent owner who lost his title as a result of fraud; and the innocent purchaser will be protected by a capped indemnity paid out of the Land Titles Indemnity Fund (known as the “mandatory rectification rule”). Some stakeholders objected to the mandatory rectification rule as it would undermine public confidence in the Title Register as conclusive evidence of titles, and defeat the original purpose of the LTO given that prudent purchasers would choose to investigate into the title history prior to conveyancing transactions; whereas others considered it necessary to retain the rule so that the defrauded former owners could recover their properties. Separately, some stakeholders also expressed reservations about setting a cap on the relevant indemnity. In light of the different views among the stakeholders, the Land Registry is exploring feasible compromises for the way forward.
We will continue to maintain close liaison with major stakeholders, and endeavour to achieve a consensus on the necessary amendments to the LTO in the light of the views received, based on which we would consult the public on the legislative amendments at an appropriate juncture. Given the complexity of the issues involved and the divergence of stakeholders' views, we do not have a timetable on the commencement of the LTO at the moment.
(3) As mentioned above, the LTO aims to provide greater certainty to property titles and simplify the procedures of checking title documents upon conveyancing. Before commencement of the LTO, all stakeholders will continue to use the present deeds registration system. As the present system has been in operation for many years and is familiar to the relevant sectors, its continued use should have no impact on conveyancing and the protection of the interests of title owners.
(4) In relation to the determination of land boundaries, the Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors has suggested to the Development Bureau earlier that amendments be made to the Land Survey Ordinance (Cap. 473). As the suggestion involves complicated legal and land policy issues, the Government needs to examine and consider the suggestion thoroughly. There is no timetable on the relevant work at the present moment.
Ends/Wednesday, May 25, 2016
Issued at HKT 14:39[:]