Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of people who use cash in transactions; and whether this number is (1) increasing, or (2) decreasing.

The Government recognises that cash remains an important part of daily life for millions of people across the UK, and remains committed to legislating to protect access to cash.

UK Finance’s UK Payment Markets report publishes figures annually on cash use in the UK. Cash remained the second most frequently used payment method in the UK as of 2020, representing almost a fifth (17%) of all total payments made. This is a reduction from 56% a decade earlier and 23% in 2019.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) publishes data on access to cash coverage across the UK. As of the third quarter of 2021, the FCA reported that nearly 96% of the UK population are within 2km of a free-to-use cash access point.

The Government intends to introduce legislation on cash access as part of the Financial Services and Markets Bill when Parliamentary time allows. The Government recently published a summary of responses to the Access to Cash consultation, setting out the Government’s planned approach to legislating for access to cash. The Government’s planned legislation will ensure that people can continue to use cash in their day-to-day lives, and that local businesses can continue accepting cash.