To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress has been made on the discussions between the British High Commission in Cyprus and the Government of Cyprus regarding the ability of United Kingdom citizens who have bought property in Cyprus to obtain title deeds, and the assurances made by the government of Cyprus to the British High Commissioner that it would introduce a bill to address that issue. [HL3803]

Our High Commissioner in Cyprus discussed the question of title deeds with the Minister of Interior of the Republic of Cyprus on 27 April 2009. The Minister was fully aware of the problem of obtaining title deeds, an issue which also affects a large number of Cypriots. The Cyprus Government will introduce legislation to speed up the issuing of title deeds, but this legislation will only apply to future cases. The Minister expressed a willingness to meet representatives of interest groups about this issue.