Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the number of people without a bank account in (a) Hounslow, (b) London and (c) the UK in each of the last five years.

The Government has made no such estimate.

The Government is committed to improving access to financial services. To this end the major UK banks voluntarily offer basic bank accounts alongside their other retail current accounts.

As recommended by the Parliamentary Commission on Banking Standards, the Government is currently taking forward discussions with the banking sector to seek a voluntary agreement on renewed minimum standards for basic bank accounts.