Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the (a) availability and (b) accessibility of banking hubs in Gloucestershire.

The Government understands the importance of face-to-face banking to communities and high streets in Gloucestershire and across the UK, and is committed to championing sufficient access for all as a priority. This is why the Government is working closely with industry to roll out 350 banking hubs across the UK. The UK banking sector has committed to deliver these hubs by the end of this Parliament. Over 230 hubs have been announced so far, and over 160 are already open.

The location of these hubs is determined independently by LINK, the industry coordinating body responsible for making access to cash assessments. When a cash service such as a bank branch closes, or if LINK receives a request directly from a community, LINK assesses a community’s access to cash needs. This assessment may lead to a recommendation for the establishment of a banking hub in that community. When assessing, LINK takes account of how accessible remaining cash services (e.g. bank branches) are by public transport, including journey times and cost.

A banking hub has been recommended for Thornbury in South Gloucestershire and a property search is currently underway.