Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with (a) UK Financial Investments and (b) the Financial Conduct Authority on circumstances in which banks in receipt of support from the public purse have sought to recover loans by sending letters purporting to be from law firms.

The Government deplores the use of deceptive practices to recover loans. The Chancellor discusses a number of issues with both UK Financial Investments (UKFI) and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) on an ongoing basis. However, the details of these discussions are not made public.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is the regulator responsible for the conduct of banks. It is for the FCA to consider whether to take action against banks in relation to debt recovery practices.

It is the responsibility of the banks involved to respond to any concerns raised by customers or regulators.