Data Protection and Digital Information (No. 2) Bill (Second sitting)

Rupa Huq Excerpts

Committee stage
Wednesday 10th May 2023 Public Bill Committees

[The Chair]

We have time for a very quick question from Rupa Huq, with very quick answers.

[Dr Rupa Huq (Ealing Central and Acton) (Lab)]

Q UK Finance’s members are all the big banks—is that right?

Phillip Mind: We represent more than 300 organisations in the banking and finance community. Some are big banks and some are quite small fintechs, so there is quite a spectrum.

[Dr Huq]

Q Okay. The dealings that I have had with you have been about the bank card phenomenon. We know that there is public mistrust in the consumer banking sector about how our data is controlled. How will you ensure that the Bill does not leave behind those people who are not online? That is what the banking hubs are aimed at, is it not? There is a whole loneliness agenda, as well as issues relating to the elderly.

[The Chair]

You have 30 seconds to answer.

Phillip Mind: That is a big challenge. It is really important that people are not left behind and that they have the ability to create a kind of digital identity. As a society, we will have to work very hard to enable that. That is a responsibility that falls not on banks, but on other organisations that will help citizens to create these identities.