Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Social Justice – in the Senedd at 2:01 pm on 22 September 2021.
Thank you very much for that. Banks are starting to charge voluntary organisations for banking services, even though very often they don't have many financial transactions happening from one year to the next, and they don't have many funds in the account, so having to pay to have a bank account is disproportionate. It's going to have a significant impact on them as bodies. Some of these banks at the same time of course are trying to portray themselves as local banks that support the communities of Wales, but the truth is, they're closing branches, they're withdrawing from these communities and now they're punishing voluntary organisations in local areas for banking with them. So, can you as a Government send a clear message to these major banks that this is unacceptable? Can you also give us an update on where we are with establishing Banc Cambria, and when do you foresee that that, perhaps, will be able to step into the breach and provide alternative services for the thousands of voluntary organisations that we have, as well as the wider population?