To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the level of cash access of those living in the most rural areas.

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they will take to protect the use of cash in the purchasing of everyday goods and services.

The Government recognises that cash continues to be used by millions of people across the UK, including those who may be in vulnerable groups. Furthermore, the Government recognises that businesses need access to cash deposit services in order to continue accepting cash and, therefore, support people’s ability to continue to transact using cash.

The Financial Conduct Authority has recently assumed regulatory responsibility for protecting access to cash, and its new rules went live on 18 September. The rules require the UK’s largest banks and building societies to seek to assess the impact of a closure of a relevant cash withdrawal or deposit facility and put in place a new service if necessary. The most recent data from the FCA shows 98 per cent of people in rural areas live within 3 miles of a free-to-use cash access point offering deposits.

The decision to accept or decline a form of payment is a commercial one. However, the Government recognises the importance of cash as a means of payment for essential services and to the wider economy, and therefore welcomes the work of the regulators to monitor cash acceptance. For example, research published by the Financial Conduct Authority in 2020 found that 98 per cent of small businesses surveyed would never turn away a customer if they needed to pay in cash.