Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they plan to take to ensure that the reduction in the availability of cash does not act to the detriment of the most disadvantaged in society.

This question was answered on 26th March 2019
The Government is committed to safeguarding access to cash for those who need it. We will continue to engage with the regulators and industry to ensure people continue to have real choice over how they spend their money, recognising that cash is particularly important to the most vulnerable members of our society.

The Government-established Payment Systems Regulator is closely monitoring developments within ATM provision. It has used its powers to hold LINK to account over LINK’s commitments to preserve the broad geographic spread of the ATM network.

Last year, Government conducted a call for evidence on cash and digital payments in the new economy. This sought to gather evidence on how changing preferences for cash and digital payments impact on different sectors, regions and demographics. The Government welcomes the Access to Cash Review, which will help inform our ongoing work to ensure cash remains accessible.

The Government will formally respond to the call for evidence in due course.