Clydesdale Bank and SMEs Debate

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Department: HM Treasury

Clydesdale Bank and SMEs

Joanna Cherry Excerpts
Tuesday 19th March 2019

(5 years, 8 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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John Glen Portrait John Glen
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I recognise that we need in the Financial Conduct Authority and the PRA regulators that are able to take appropriate action in a timely way to deal with disputes where they have responsibility. I have regular conversations with the FCA and encourage it to look at different matters. I will obviously be concerned about how the expanded ombudsman service and the redress mechanism work, and nothing is ruled out in the future.

Joanna Cherry Portrait Joanna Cherry (Edinburgh South West) (SNP)
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I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Lanark and Hamilton East (Angela Crawley) on securing this important urgent question. Like many Members, I have constituents whose businesses were successful and would not have gone under had the banks not mistreated them. Does the Minister agree that the FCA should issue strict guidance that the banks should not destroy any documentation relative to ongoing disputes before the historical compensation scheme is established, and if they do so, they should be sanctioned?

John Glen Portrait John Glen
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The hon. and learned Lady makes a reasonable point. It would be perverse to shred relevant materials in the context of a provision that they have entered into freely, showing a lot of good will, to try to find resolution and get to a better point of trust between the public and themselves.