Oral Answers to Questions

Viscount Thurso Excerpts

Tuesday 24th January 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mr Hoban]

As the hon. Gentleman will know, the responsibility for commercial decisions is a matter for the management of RBS and Lloyds. He has flagged up a concern, and if he brings forward details of those matters, I will raise them with the chief executives concerned.

[John Thurso (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD)]

Following on from that question. Given that banks can lend only if they have capital and that 80% of financial transactions take place within the financial services industry, so that only 20% result in an end user, can the Minister say what steps the Government are taking to look at the marginal utility of the financial services industry, or what Lord Turner described as its “social usefulness”?

[Mr Hoban]

My hon. Friend makes an important point. It is vital that banks and other participants in the financial services sector play their full role in supporting growth across the economy and meeting the aspirations of families across the country. It is vital when banks are faced with difficult decisions about how to use their capital that they should focus their efforts on securing lending and boosting economic growth.