Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will call a summit with industry representatives, with the objective of ensuring the continued provision of free cash withdrawals at ATMs in deprived communities.

Last year, the Government initiated a discussion on payment methods through a Call for Evidence on Cash and Digital Payments in the New Economy. This sought to gather evidence from industry and the public alike on how changing preferences for cash and digital payments impact on different sectors, regions and demographics.

A formal Summary of Responses to this Call for Evidence was published in May 2019. This response set out the Government’s commitment to supporting digital payments, whilst safeguarding access to cash for those who need it. It also highlighted that the Treasury would set up and chair a Joint Authorities Cash Strategy Group, made up of regulators and the Bank of England, to facilitate further co-ordination between the authorities and provide comprehensive oversight of the overall cash infrastructure.

The Government-established Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) is closely monitoring developments in ATM provision, including those that are free-to-use. The PSR regulates LINK, the scheme which runs the UK’s ATM network, and has used its powers to hold LINK to account over LINK’s commitments to preserve the broad geographic spread of free-to-use ATMs.

LINK has put in place specific arrangements to protect free-to-use ATMs more than 1 kilometre away from the next nearest free-to-use ATM. LINK has also enhanced its Financial Inclusion Programme by tripling the funding available for free-to-use ATMs in the most deprived areas of the UK.