Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to bring forward proposals for the mandatory provision of basic bank accounts for all individuals; and if he will make a statement.
Under the Payment Accounts Regulations 2015, the nine largest personal current account providers in the UK must offer a basic bank account to customers who are either unbanked in the UK or who are not eligible for any other current account the bank offers.
The nine designated institutions are: Barclays, Clydesdale and Yorkshire Bank, Co-operative Bank, HSBC, Lloyds Banking Group (including Halifax and Bank of Scotland brands), Nationwide, Royal Bank of Scotland (including NatWest and Ulster Bank brands), Santander, TSB.