Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the measures related to banking hubs in the Financial Services and Markets Bill will also cover post offices which provide the same services.

The Government is committed to ensuring that people who need in-person banking can continue to access essential services.

The Financial Services and Markets Bill includes a power to enable the Government to take action in future to protect access to banking services should this be necessary. The power relates to access to banking services more broadly and is not limited to banking hubs.

Banking hubs provide everyday counter services delivered by Post Office staff and also offer access to community bankers from participating banks, who can provide services more commonly offered in branches, such as registering a bereavement.

Separately, the Post Office provides everyday banking services through over 10,000 branches across the UK under the Banking Framework, a commercial agreement between the Post Office and banking firms. This includes cash withdrawal and deposit, paying bills and paying in cheques, and checking your balance.

The independent Review into Access to Banking Services will assess whether changes in access to in-person banking services in the UK are causing detriment to consumers. The Review will consider the role of both banking hubs and Post Office banking services, and its findings will inform future decisions on whether further action is needed.