That the Committee has considered the draft Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing (Amendment) Regulations 2026.
It is an honour to serve under your chairship, Mr Betts. The draft regulations aim to improving the effectiveness of the UK’s anti-money laundering regime. Money laundering is not a victimless …..." Rachel Blake - View Speech
"I thank the hon. Member for North West Norfolk for his analysis and for his support for the draft regulations. I am grateful to him for saying that he hopes I will be able to address some of his points, because I wrote down all nine themes. Whether I can …..." Rachel Blake - View Speech
"I am going to make a little bit of progress now, because we do not have much time. Despite the important progress that we have heard this evening about the number of banking hubs that have been set up—a commitment to 275 with 235 already delivered—it would be premature to …..." Rachel Blake - View Speech
"I disagree—I think that the hon. Gentleman goes too far in his criticism of the criteria. It is important that the Government continue to monitor how these banking hubs are assessed and the need for them.
"I am not going to give way. I fully support those powers, and expect the FCA to use them where necessary. However, the Government are concerned that although firms have been reshaping their branch networks in response to customer demand, this may be creating particular challenges, which is why we …..." Rachel Blake - View Speech
"I have to finish now. I welcome the commitments that firms have made to maintain or improve their existing branches, recognising just how important they are to their customers. There are already some rules and obligations for firms that are changing their branch networks, which they must take very seriously. …..." Rachel Blake - View Speech
"I am grateful to the hon. Member for Moray West, Nairn and Strathspey (Graham Leadbitter) for securing this debate and for setting out the concerns of not only of his constituents but, as he made clear, those of the many Members who are in the Chamber this evening who want …..." Rachel Blake - View Speech
"I thank my hon. Friend for his thoughtful intervention, and I wish local businesses in his constituency all the best. These decisions are made by Link, but the Government keep a very close eye on the assessment criteria...." Rachel Blake - View Speech
"I absolutely recognise the importance of banking hubs, as my hon. Friend has described. I am very grateful to her for highlighting the different models available, and I very much hope that she will submit some of that evidence and the case study to the access to banking services review.