7. Debate on the Economy, Infrastructure and Skills Committee Report: Access to Banking

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:17 pm on 11 December 2019.

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Photo of Jack Sargeant Jack Sargeant Labour 4:17, 11 December 2019

Thank you, Presiding Officer. I appreciate you allowing me to speak this afternoon, and I won't take too long of your time, because I think Members have rightly said the comments raised, but in particular I will focus on recommendations 13 and 14 about community banks. The Minister will know, as does the First Minister, that I've been working hard to try and bring a community bank to Buckley and also campaigned to save the closure of the town's last bank. 

Minister, I welcome the acceptance of the committee's recommendations and also the work done by Banc Cambria to date, so I hope you will join me in setting the bar high for Banc Cambria in the future: to be the best it can be, working collaboratively with others, including credit unions, to meet the requirements set of all banks but not actually met by many, and that is to provide all that wish access to current accounts with one, including the people who find themselves with no fixed abode, and to generally be a bank for everyone. 

Now, I think we've heard from contributions across the Chamber that there is a clear consensus. Yes, there is more scrutiny needed in the steps going forward, and I'm sure we will hold them to account, including the Government, but I also think we almost all of us agree that this needs to happen—a community bank needs to happen. So, my question is—to you, Minister, to the Government—how can we speed this up? How can the Welsh Government move this process forward as a matter of urgency and establish a community bank for Wales sooner rather than later? 

I will finish. I did say I'd be brief, Llywydd, and all I will finish on is: all I want for Christmas is a bank in Buckley, and also all those other places that have been hit hard as well through bank closures across the years.