Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what information her Department holds on the number of credit unions there are with more than (a) 500,000, (b) one million and (c) two million members.

The Government has made clear its strong support for the credit union sector, recognising the value that credit unions bring to their members in local communities across the country in providing savings products and affordable credit.

HM Treasury is delivering on measures announced by the Chancellor in last year’s Mansion House speech, including: concluding a call for evidence on potential reforms to the credit union common bond, supporting the industry-led Mutual and Co-operative Sector Business Council, and commissioning the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) to publish a report on the mutuals landscape by the end of 2025.

The Government currently has no plans to develop a central finance facility for credit unions but continues to engage with the sector and will keep all issues, like central finance functions, under review.

There are currently no credit unions in Great Britain or Northern Ireland with more than 500,000 members. According to annual data published on the Bank of England’s website, there were a total of 1,520,300 credit union members in GB in 2024, served by a total of 220 credit unions.