Asked by: Ged Killen (Labour (Co-op) - Rutherglen and Hamilton West)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions he has had with (a) the Bank of England and (b) the Financial Conduct Authority about introducing powers to prevent the development of areas where there are no free-to-use ATMs.
Answered by Steve Barclay - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The Government recognises that widespread free access to cash remains extremely important to the day-to-day lives of many consumers and businesses in the UK, and will continue to work with industry to ensure continued free access to cash. Since 1998, the number of free to use ATMs has more than doubled, from 24,600 to over 53,000.
Government has not made an assessment of the relative poverty of areas where there are no free to use ATMs. However LINK, the organisation behind the ATM network in the UK, carries out an assessment of areas where there are no free to use ATMs as part of the financial inclusion programme it runs, in collaboration with Toynbee Hall, to ensure the provision of ATMs in areas of deprivation, where demand would not otherwise make one viable. LINK is intending to strengthen its financial inclusion programme even further to ensure that the need for ATMs continue to be met.
HM Treasury has not had discussions with the Bank of England or the Financial Conduct Authority about imposing a cap on charges to customers for ATMs which are not free to use or introducing powers to prevent the development of areas where there are no free-to-use ATMs. The Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) is monitoring developments within ATM provision, and is conducting ongoing internal work on the impact that changes to interchange fees may have. The Government set the PSR up in 2015 with the statutory objective to ensure that the UK’s payment systems work in the interests of their users. Government is confident that the PSR will use its powers to act should any of the firms it regulates behave in a way that conflicts with its statutory objectives.
Asked by: Ged Killen (Labour (Co-op) - Rutherglen and Hamilton West)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, will he give a commitment to refund all VAT paid by Police Scotland and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service to date.
Answered by Mel Stride - Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
Autumn Budget 2017 announced the government’s intention to amend legislation so that Police Scotland and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service will be eligible for VAT refunds. This change will be enacted through Finance Bill 2017-18.