Bungay illustrates "biggest problem" with rural banking access, says Adrian Ramsay MP

Speaking in a parliamentary debate on access to face-to-face banking, Adrian Ramsay MP for Waveney Valley highlighted the market town of Bungay as an example of the collapse of banking services in rural communities.

“Bungay once had branches of HSBC, Barclays, NatWest and Lloyds. All four have now closed.

Mr Ramsay told the Commons that Link, the body responsible for assessing community access to cash, had says that Bungay does not qualify for a banking hub because cash facilities remain available in the town. He said: "Access to cash is not the same as access to banking and the personalised support that staffed branches or banking hubs provide."

He also challenged Link's reasoning that a hub would not be granted for Bungay because one already exists in nearby Harleston, saying: "In rural communities, getting from one market town to another is not always easy."

Mr Ramsay pressed the Minister to review the criteria used to assess eligibility for banking hubs, asking: "Will she look at whether communities such as Bungay can qualify for banking hubs where there's a clear demand for face-to-face services, even if cash withdrawals are accessible?"

ENDS

Link to the intervention 
https://parliamentlive.tv/Download/Index/b72c2f12-ac6f-4e8d-924e-6bcc0ebb6fa0