Committee of Scottish MPs keen to hear views on accessing cash
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Views are being sought from members of the public across Scotland about their experiences of accessing cash.
MPs on the Scottish Affairs Committee launched a survey today to find out about the issue at a time when more goods and services are being paid for electronically.
They note that the past few years have seen the use of cash to pay for goods dramatically decrease, with card payments accelerating. However, many people still rely on cash for most of their daily purchases.
The committee is looking at the impact on vulnerable groups and it believes the transition could hit those in rural areas the hardest, with access to a bank or cash point being more difficult than in more urban areas. There have been a number of bank branch closure announcements across the country in recent years, including several in Caithness and Sutherland
The committee says the anonymous survey will help inform its work on understanding how people across Scotland can continue having access to the banking services they require.
Committee chairman Pete Wishart said: “In the seven years between 2015 and 2022, the majority of banks that existed on Scottish high streets closed their doors for good. Throughout the UK, Scotland has experienced the highest proportion of bank closures.
“Our committee is fully aware that the bank closures and challenges to accessing cash will hit many communities hard, and that is why we have opened this survey. We want to hear from people throughout Scotland how they are finding the transition to more digital payments for goods, and what – if anything – the UK government can do to ensure they can still access the money they need.”
The survey launch came after the committee held an evidence session last month with consumer organisation Which?, Unite the union and industry bodies. Members heard about the scale of bank closures across Scotland, how physical access to cash is important to many in the community and what alternative approaches have been deployed for people to continue to access cash.
The survey can be accessed here and closes on February 9.
