Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the proportion of (a) 18 to 29, (b) 30 to 44, (c) 45 to 59, (d) 60 to 79 and (e) over 80 year olds who use online banking in each parliamentary constituency.

The Government has made no such estimate. However, the Office for National Statistics compiles data on the activities carried out by people that use the internet, including internet banking. This can be found at http://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/householdcharacteristics/homeinternetandsocialmediausage/bulletins/internetaccesshouseholdsandindividuals/2016.

The Government is committed to improving access to financial services, across both traditional and digital channels. The Government also recognises the need to support local communities to adapt to changes in the banking landscape, including when bank branches close. In March 2015, the Government helped to broker an industry-wide agreement to work with customers and communities to minimise the impact of bank branch closures and put in place alternative banking services.

The Government welcomed Professor Russel Griggs’ 2016 review of the Access to Banking Protocol and is pleased to see the industry commit to further improvements to protect those affected by closures.