Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department plans to take to enable credit unions to offer mortgages.

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.

Credit unions in Great Britain are already permitted to offer mortgages.

It is the choice of individual credit unions whether they choose to offer mortgages, and some have chosen to do so. Credit unions who offer mortgages may be subject to additional regulatory requirements from the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) to account for the increased risk in providing such services.