—and aren't, of course, in a situation where they have to borrow money from people who would charge them a great deal for borrowing that money?

It is true to say that there is more potential in credit unions. It's true to say that in Ireland, where they've been for much longer than in Wales, the credit unions there can lend a great deal of money when compared with the credit unions in Wales. People can get mortgages from credit unions there, for example. As regards the network of credit unions, I think that is something that is well worth considering, and I will ensure that the Minister will communicate with her in order to see how we can strengthen the presence of credit unions in the communities of Wales, bearing in mind that the banks are withdrawing from so many communities, in order to give people the opportunity to control their financial lives in a way that benefits them.FootnoteLink