Financial Exclusion: Access to Cash
Debate between Seema Malhotra and Charlie Elphicke(5 years, 6 months ago)
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Seema Malhotra
My hon. Friend is absolutely right. Post offices in my constituency have raised similar concerns.
Charlie Elphicke (Dover) (Con)
I congratulate the hon. Lady on securing the debate. Should we also not look at what I see as the opportunities to improve the situation, including the opportunity to ensure more free cash machines supported by the banking system, which I hope the Treasury will take on? There is also an opportunity to require retail businesses to accept cash. The other day I walked into a Vodafone shop and they said that they did not accept cash—they had gone completely cashless. I thought, “What about vulnerable people? What can we do for vulnerable people?” Does the hon. Lady not agree that it is really important to do that as well, and to maximise the opportunity for the post office network to ensure that vulnerable people can still access cash and financial services in their often rural communities?