Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions the Department has had with relevant stakeholders in the North East to identify areas of financial exclusion in the region.

Earlier this month, I published the Government’s Financial Inclusion Strategy which sets out an ambitious programme of measures to improve financial inclusion and resilience for underserved groups across the UK. The strategy was developed alongside a committee of industry and consumer representatives, and the Government has engaged extensively on this agenda to ensure the strategy is informed by a wide range of perspectives, including lived experience.

Action to improve financial inclusion requires a joined up approach. The Government is committed to continuing to work collaboratively with a range of organisations to deliver on the strategy and improve financial inclusion across the UK.