Part of 4. Topical Questions – in the Senedd at 3:26 pm on 6 December 2017.
Thank you, Presiding Officer. Minister, I agree with most of the sentiment that has been expressed in this Chamber; you can't dispute that. One of the points that has been made about the assurances Members have received from the banks about neighbouring banks taking up the slack, as it were, is one of the most frustrating arguments that has been put time and time again. In Llantwit Major, when NatWest shut their branch there, Cowbridge was pointed to as the neighbouring branch that would take up the slack. You queue out the door some days in NatWest in Cowbridge to use the facilities there and yet on 4 June that bank, next year, is due to close. So, it's the inconsistencies with the information that banks are providing.
I hear what you say about the commercial nature—and I agree; banking is a commercial business. But what assessment has the Welsh Government made in relation to the gaps that will now appear in the ability for small businesses in particular to use banks in the traditional way of seeking advice about loans and financial facilities, but also to do their business banking? I had a meeting earlier in the year with the investment bank for Wales, and the chairman made this point: that there is evidence there that shows that commercial banks are withdrawing from certain parts of Wales and withdrawing their lending facilities, which will have a detrimental impact on businesses. So, has the Welsh Government made any assessment of the wider context that these closures have, not just for the individuals who have got accounts with the banks, but also businesses who depend on a source of finance and also to do their day-to-day banking?