Cerberus Capital Management: Purchase of Distressed Assets Debate

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Department: HM Treasury

Cerberus Capital Management: Purchase of Distressed Assets

Patrick Grady Excerpts
Wednesday 22nd February 2017

(7 years, 10 months ago)

Westminster Hall
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Roger Mullin Portrait Roger Mullin (Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath) (SNP)
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It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship once again, Mr Owen. Thank you for inviting me to take my seat on the Front Bench.

We all owe a great debt to my hon. Friend the Member for East Lothian (George Kerevan) for securing this debate, especially the companies that have been driven to the wall or destroyed by the actions of Cerberus. I know that some of those companies are represented in the Public Gallery today; I hope they find that we have done justice to their cause. My hon. Friend certainly has.

Patrick Grady Portrait Patrick Grady (Glasgow North) (SNP)
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I have a constituent who was affected by the behaviour of the Royal Bank of Scotland’s global restructuring group. Does my hon. Friend agree that there is a huge lack of trust in such major institutions, particularly RBS, which is largely owned by the public purse? It falls to the Government to get a grip on the situation and take the necessary actions that my hon. Friend the Member for East Lothian (George Kerevan) outlined, so that public confidence can be restored and some of the businesses affected can have some hope of restitution.

Roger Mullin Portrait Roger Mullin
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I agree wholeheartedly. Indeed, in a debate on a related issue last week, I raised the fact that many people and small businesses will find it extraordinary that banks such as RBS have no duty of care towards the customers they deal directly with. Given all the tales of misery caused either by the banks directly or by Cerberus, surely we need to ensure that there is proper regulation and a proper duty of care towards those who suffer at the hands of such institutions.