Asked by: Tulip Siddiq (Labour - Hampstead and Highgate)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the availability of shared banking hub services in areas with (a) limited and (b) no internet access; and what information his Department holds on whether (i) established and (ii) proposed shared banking hub services are mapped against areas with (A) limited and (B) no internet access.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Trade
Banking Hubs are a commercial initiative provided by participating retail banks and building societies in partnership with the Post Office to support access to cash and banking services in communities.
Banking Hubs offer basic counter services provided by Post Office staff, allowing people and businesses to withdraw and deposit cash, deposit cheques, pay bills and make balance enquiries. They also contain dedicated rooms where customers can see community bankers from their own bank or building society for more complicated matters that require specialist knowledge or privacy.
Decisions regarding the deployment of Banking Hubs and the range of services provided are taken on a commercial basis by the parties involved. To date, industry has committed to deliver Banking Hubs in 80 locations. Further information on Banking Hubs is available at: https://www.cashaccess.co.uk/
The Financial Services and Markets Act 2023 provides the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) with responsibility and powers to seek to ensure reasonable provision of cash access services. The FCA is currently developing its approach and will consult in due course.
Asked by: Tulip Siddiq (Labour - Hampstead and Highgate)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent estimate he has made of when future shared banking hubs will be rolled-out; and whether his Department is taking steps to accelerate the rollout of shared banking hubs.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Trade
Banking Hubs are a commercial initiative provided by participating retail banks and building societies in partnership with the Post Office to support access to cash and banking services in communities.
Banking Hubs offer basic counter services provided by Post Office staff, allowing people and businesses to withdraw and deposit cash, deposit cheques, pay bills and make balance enquiries. They also contain dedicated rooms where customers can see community bankers from their own bank or building society for more complicated matters that require specialist knowledge or privacy.
Decisions regarding the deployment of Banking Hubs and the range of services provided are taken on a commercial basis by the parties involved. To date, industry has committed to deliver Banking Hubs in 80 locations. Further information on Banking Hubs is available at: https://www.cashaccess.co.uk/
The Financial Services and Markets Act 2023 provides the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) with responsibility and powers to seek to ensure reasonable provision of cash access services. The FCA is currently developing its approach and will consult in due course.
Asked by: Tulip Siddiq (Labour - Hampstead and Highgate)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the provision of support services for (a) non-English speakers and (b) disabled people at shared banking hubs.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Trade
Banking Hubs are a commercial initiative provided by participating retail banks and building societies in partnership with the Post Office to support access to cash and banking services in communities.
Banking Hubs offer basic counter services provided by Post Office staff, allowing people and businesses to withdraw and deposit cash, deposit cheques, pay bills and make balance enquiries. They also contain dedicated rooms where customers can see community bankers from their own bank or building society for more complicated matters that require specialist knowledge or privacy.
Decisions regarding the deployment of Banking Hubs and the range of services provided are taken on a commercial basis by the parties involved. To date, industry has committed to deliver Banking Hubs in 80 locations. Further information on Banking Hubs is available at: https://www.cashaccess.co.uk/
The Financial Services and Markets Act 2023 provides the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) with responsibility and powers to seek to ensure reasonable provision of cash access services. The FCA is currently developing its approach and will consult in due course.
Asked by: Tulip Siddiq (Labour - Hampstead and Highgate)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of providing shared banking hub services in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Trade
Banking Hubs are a commercial initiative provided by participating retail banks and building societies in partnership with the Post Office to support access to cash and banking services in communities.
Banking Hubs offer basic counter services provided by Post Office staff, allowing people and businesses to withdraw and deposit cash, deposit cheques, pay bills and make balance enquiries. They also contain dedicated rooms where customers can see community bankers from their own bank or building society for more complicated matters that require specialist knowledge or privacy.
Decisions regarding the deployment of Banking Hubs and the range of services provided are taken on a commercial basis by the parties involved. To date, industry has committed to deliver Banking Hubs in 80 locations. Further information on Banking Hubs is available at: https://www.cashaccess.co.uk/
The Financial Services and Markets Act 2023 provides the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) with responsibility and powers to seek to ensure reasonable provision of cash access services. The FCA is currently developing its approach and will consult in due course.
Asked by: Tulip Siddiq (Labour - Hampstead and Highgate)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what information his Department holds on the number of services that are available through shared banking hubs.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Trade
Banking Hubs are a commercial initiative provided by participating retail banks and building societies in partnership with the Post Office to support access to cash and banking services in communities.
Banking Hubs offer basic counter services provided by Post Office staff, allowing people and businesses to withdraw and deposit cash, deposit cheques, pay bills and make balance enquiries. They also contain dedicated rooms where customers can see community bankers from their own bank or building society for more complicated matters that require specialist knowledge or privacy.
Decisions regarding the deployment of Banking Hubs and the range of services provided are taken on a commercial basis by the parties involved. To date, industry has committed to deliver Banking Hubs in 80 locations. Further information on Banking Hubs is available at: https://www.cashaccess.co.uk/
The Financial Services and Markets Act 2023 provides the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) with responsibility and powers to seek to ensure reasonable provision of cash access services. The FCA is currently developing its approach and will consult in due course.
Asked by: Tulip Siddiq (Labour - Hampstead and Highgate)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of shared banking hubs for meeting the needs of customers.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Trade
Banking Hubs are a commercial initiative provided by participating retail banks and building societies in partnership with the Post Office to support access to cash and banking services in communities.
Banking Hubs offer basic counter services provided by Post Office staff, allowing people and businesses to withdraw and deposit cash, deposit cheques, pay bills and make balance enquiries. They also contain dedicated rooms where customers can see community bankers from their own bank or building society for more complicated matters that require specialist knowledge or privacy.
Decisions regarding the deployment of Banking Hubs and the range of services provided are taken on a commercial basis by the parties involved. To date, industry has committed to deliver Banking Hubs in 80 locations. Further information on Banking Hubs is available at: https://www.cashaccess.co.uk/
The Financial Services and Markets Act 2023 provides the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) with responsibility and powers to seek to ensure reasonable provision of cash access services. The FCA is currently developing its approach and will consult in due course.
Asked by: Tulip Siddiq (Labour - Hampstead and Highgate)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what his planned timescale is for implementing regulations on buy-now pay-later providers.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Trade
The Government’s consultation on proposed draft legislation to bring BNPL into regulation closed in April. The Government is carefully considering stakeholder feedback to this consultation and intends to publish a consultation response in due course, in which it will set out next steps.
Asked by: Tulip Siddiq (Labour - Hampstead and Highgate)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many additional Stamp Duty Land Tax refunds have taken longer than 35 days to process in the last 12 months.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
HM Revenue and Customs does not record the number of Stamp Duty Land Tax refunds that have taken longer than 35 days to process.
Asked by: Tulip Siddiq (Labour - Hampstead and Highgate)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department approved the cost of legal advice provided to the former Rt hon. Member for Uxbridge for the investigation into his conduct by the Committee of Privileges.
Answered by John Glen
I refer the Hon. member to the answer given on 22 March to PQ UIN 168062: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2023-03-17/168062
Asked by: Tulip Siddiq (Labour - Hampstead and Highgate)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of mortgage lenders passing on costs through early repayment fees on consumers.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Trade
The pricing of mortgages, including early repayment charges, is a commercial decision for lenders in which the Government does not intervene.
However, Financial Conduct Authority rules set out that lenders should not impose early repayment charges at a level that is more than a reasonable pre-estimate of the costs that would be incurred as a result of a loan being terminated early.
Consumers should also be given adequate information about the existence of these charges in the pre-sale disclosure documents lenders are required to give them.