Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of recent trends in the level of retail investment on economic (a) growth and (b) resilience.

The Government wants to see more consumers participate in capital markets and benefit from the long-term financial security and returns that investing can provide.

The Financial Services Growth & Competitiveness Strategy call for evidence, which closed on 12 December, identified that increasing retail participation in capital markets could support long-term sustainable growth within the sector and the wider economy. The call for evidence welcomed further evidence on how to improve consumer engagement with investing, and the Government is considering the feedback provided.

The Government is already taking forward work to improve the information available to retail investors to help with their decision-making. This includes reforms to the UK’s retail disclosure regime and exploring options to expand the availability of support through the joint Government and FCA review of the boundary between financial advice and guidance.