Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: HM Treasury

Oral Answers to Questions

Tom Brake Excerpts
Tuesday 19th January 2016

(8 years, 3 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Harriett Baldwin Portrait Harriett Baldwin
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My hon. Friend asks a salient question. The FCA is investigating this matter, and he will be aware that new rules—the markets in financial instruments directive II—will require firms to keep information for a considerable period, but this is the subject of ongoing discussions.

Tom Brake Portrait Tom Brake (Carshalton and Wallington) (LD)
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23. Will the Minister agree that one of the biggest problems with the banking culture is that banks are too big to fail, and will she consider the issue of diversity in the sector, including, for instance, new lending platforms and market disruptors? In particular, will she consider new primary duties on the FCA to consider the issue of diversity?

Harriett Baldwin Portrait Harriett Baldwin
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I am sure the right hon. Gentleman will welcome the announcement we are expecting on Wednesday from the Bank of England, the FCA and the Prudential Regulation Authority about their working together to back innovation in the financial sector. A key part of our long-term economic plan is to back competition in the banking sector, which is why I am pleased there were eight new entrants to the banking sector in the last Parliament. In this Parliament, we are aiming for 15.