Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he is taking steps to help ensure companies do not charge consumers excessive fees for withdrawing cash at ATMs.

Arrangements for cash machines are commercial decisions for the operators of ATMs and ATM networks.

LINK (the scheme that runs the UK's largest ATM network) has commitments to protect the broad geographic spread of free-to-use ATMs and is held to account against these commitments by the Payment Systems Regulator. LINK has committed to protect free-to-use ATMs more than one kilometre away from the next nearest free ATM or Post Office, and free access to cash on high streets (where there is a cluster of five or more retailers) that do not have a free-to-use ATM or a Post Office counter within one kilometre.

In recognition that cash continues to be used by millions of people across the UK the Government has introduced legislation to protect access to cash as part of the Financial Services and Markets Bill. The legislation will establish the Financial Conduct Authority as the lead regulator for access to cash with responsibility and powers to ensure that people can continue to access cash withdrawal and deposit facilities. These powers will allow the FCA to take account of factors it considers appropriate for seeking to ensure there is reasonable provision of cash access services, this could include factors such as cost for end users.