Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of engagement and consultation with blind and partially sighted people in the design and delivery of interventions set out in the Financial Inclusion Strategy.

In November, I published the Government’s Financial Inclusion Strategy which sets out a range of ambitious measures for government and industry to improve financial inclusion for underserved groups across the UK.

As part of its focus on inclusive design, the Strategy recognises the work taken forward by The Royal National Institute of Blind People and UK Finance to introduce accessibility features for cards, so that those who are blind or partially sighted are better able to distinguish between card types and orientate them when using card readers. UK Finance is developing a Code of Practice for Accessible Cards which will ensure these features are consistent across participating firms.

The Strategy also includes a commitment for industry to work with the third sector to make it easier for individuals without standard identification documents to open a bank account, and the launch of an industry-led inclusive design working group to consider how to make products more accessible. UK Finance is currently open to submissions from consumer representative organisations about the accessibility challenges which this group should seek to address.

The Strategy was developed alongside a Committee of consumer and industry representatives, including engagement with frontline organisations and those with lived experience. The Government is committed to continuing to work collaboratively to ensure the delivery of interventions remains informed by a wide range of expertise and perspectives.