Banking Hubs: Rural and Post-Industrial Communities Debate
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David Smith
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Banking Hubs: Rural and Post-Industrial Communities
David Smith Excerpts(1 day, 8 hours ago)
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David Smith
The Minister has been very generous. On the specific point made by my hon. Friend the Member for Na h-Eileanan an Iar (Torcuil Crichton), similarly in Alnwick and Berwick, in my constituency, there is an issue to do with the diminution of high street banking. Only three years ago, there were three banks in Alnwick and now there are none, and one bank is now closing in Berwick. Regarding the criteria for community banking, will the Government look at Link and other such services, and say that it is not just access to cash that should be a statutory right but access to banking?
Lucy Rigby
I can answer that very directly. We keep these issues under review, as my hon. Friend would expect. Prior to those interventions, I was talking about action that the Government have taken. Our recognition of the importance of banking services to local communities underpins what we put in our manifesto, which was a pledge to work with the industry, as the hon. Member for Caerfyrddin rightly said, to get to at least 350 banking hubs across the country.