Conor Murphy
Newry and Armagh · Sinn Féin · Northern Ireland
“More detailed consultations with individual childcare providers and parents are taking place this month and into February. The group agreed that the research would conclude in March 2025. The work is on schedule; there has been no delay. Childcare is an excellent example of various Departments coming together to deliver for our people.”
“The Bill looks at the issue of flexible working, but at every meeting that we have had with employers, we have made a point of talking to them about the need for them to be flexible, particularly in relation to women who are returning to the workforce, and to offer people arrangements that entice them back to the workforce and give them t…”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak to the motion. <BR /> <BR />Although the Department of Education leads on childcare, it is a priority for the Executive as a whole. When setting the Budget for this financial year, the Executive earmarked an additional £25 million for childcare.”
“As a matter of fact, I publicly launched the scheme and the courses in the Met last summer. My officials are also working with our six further education colleges to develop childcare microcourses for future delivery. <BR /> <BR />I also offered to assist Minister Givan's Department as required.”
“The group identified the need to better understand the business models for childcare, what type of support is needed to ensure the sector's financial viability and how support should be targeted. Given my Department's business expertise, we volunteered to take that work forward.”
“No tensions or obstacles have been placed in the way of any of that work, and I hope that that continues to be the case, because the issues are much more important than party political exchanges across the Chamber. We will continue to work in that manner.”
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“even though the assessment did not set out the scheme's costs. It was the ministerial equivalent of signing a blank cheque. <BR /> <BR />On 8 July 2015, as the costs spiralled out of control, a submission went to the new DUP Economy Minister, Jonathan Bell, recommending cost controls. The submission sat on the DUP's desk until 18 November, by which time the number of boilers accredited to the scheme had doubled. According to his special adviser, Minister Bell rarely read his ministerial papers or briefing notes. <BR /> <BR />Has the DUP therefore got its act together following the RHI inquiry? As part of New Decade, New Approach, it was agreed that the fundamentally flawed RHI scheme would be shut down and replaced by a scheme that effectively cuts carbon emissions.”
“<BR /> <BR />In focusing on the Civil Service, the motion also ignores the central role played by the DUP in creating the RHI scandal. The economic appraisal that was commissioned by the Department for the Economy compared RHI to an alternative scheme called the challenge fund. It found that RHI would deliver less renewable energy at higher risk and was more expensive. The Minister and special adviser should have read that economic appraisal, as anyone who was diligent and across the detail of their brief would do, and decided not to proceed with the RHI scheme. However, they went ahead with it. Mrs Foster actually signed the declaration that stated:”
“Let me begin by acknowledging that there are significant deficiencies at senior levels of the Civil Service. Clearly, capacity issues remain in the Department for the Economy, which was responsible for the RHI scheme. That was apparent from the Department's slow response to the economic impact of COVID. As a result of the Department's lacklustre support for businesses, LPS had to be transformed from a rates collection agency into a business grants agency. Despite having no remit for economic assistance, LPS delivered 80% of COVID support to businesses in the first year of the pandemic. LPS showed that there are sectors of the Civil Service that are innovative, capable of change and focused on delivery. That is not recognised in the wording of the motion.”
“The intention is to use the time that the extension will give us to improve on the current situation, and, as that would create more space, I imagine that there would be much more consultation on the final outcome. I hope that we will be in a position to put in place a better system come September. <BR /> <BR />I thank Members for their comments, and I ask them to approve the draft Coronavirus Act 2020 (Registration of deaths and still-births) (Extension) Order (Northern Ireland) 2022 and that it should come into operation from 24 March 2022.”
“I hope that that will, on the other side of the mandate, give the Committee an opportunity to do its own consultation with stakeholders and to satisfy itself about any changes. I hope that, at that stage — Mr Muir expressed it — we will have an Executive back in place. If that is not the case, the provisions lapse, and we go back to where we were pre pandemic. There is an opportunity not just for the sake of efficient bureaucracy but to put in place a better system that recognises that circumstances remain in which access to services could be impeded as a consequence of the pandemic, through people being off work ill or through an outbreak in a particular office that renders it unable to open. We are still dealing with that but thankfully not at the same level as in previous times.”
“I thank the Members who commented on the order, and I welcome the expressed support for it. I thank the Chairman and members of the Finance Committee, who scrutinised the order. There were reservations, and questions were asked about it. The truth is that the figures are not retained by the Department of Finance or the Department of Health. As part of the exercise, however, there was, rather than formal consultation, feedback from stakeholders such as registration office staff, funeral directors and medical practitioners, and that was positive <BR /> <BR />If there is to be future subordinate legislation — with the extension of the order, we have created space to allow measures to be put in place — there should be ongoing consultation, including with the Committee.”
“The extension also gives officials the opportunity to investigate making some of the changes permanent, especially the electronic transfer of documents and the amendments required to the Coroners Act, as outlined by Minister Long. <BR /> <BR />In conclusion, I am comfortable recommending the extension of the powers as they have helped the death certification and registration process to continue to operate throughout the past 24 months. We have an opportunity, by extending the provisions, to continue providing the service, which has been welcomed by the stakeholders, including registrars, the public, funeral directors and medical practitioners. The order has been considered by the Committee for Finance, and no objections have been raised. I commend the order to the Assembly.”
“<BR /> <BR />I recognise that the pandemic situation has improved since these provisions came into operation, but systems may continue to be put under additional pressure, and the public may still not be able to attend a registrar's office in person. That could be due to a member of the public or registration staff being ill or self-isolating, or because the registration office is closed or has a reduced capacity due to social distancing in council buildings. By extending the service to 24 September, we can ensure that the administrative processes relating to the registration of deaths and stillbirths can continue to operate even as the status of the pandemic is changing.”
“If the extension is not put in place, the provisions will fall on 24 March, and we will revert to the original provisions in the Births and Deaths Registration (Northern Ireland) Order 1976. It requires that, for death certification, an MCCD has to be signed by a doctor who has seen the deceased within the past 28 days, or the death has to be referred to the coroner. For registration of the death, it means that the informant receives the MCCD directly from a doctor, and then attends in person at the registration office to carry out the registration. Once the registration is complete, they are required to confirm that the registration details are correct and to sign the entry. The informant is then given a GRO21 form, which provides confirmation that the death has been registered, to pass to the funeral director.”
“While doctors may not be referring as many cases to the coroner for review, registration staff registering the death continue to scrutinise every MCCD, with registrars contacting medical practitioners if they believe that the death should be notified to the coroner. That process assists in maintaining assurance on the cause of death.”
“She pointed out that the requirement on doctors to immediately notify the coroner if there is reason to believe that the death is not from natural causes has not been changed by the coronavirus provisions and that that duty on doctors remains. Minister Long stated that, while she supports a return to the usual statutory position at the earliest opportunity, she is content that an extension to the provision on reporting deaths from natural causes is necessary for the Coroners Service until such times as section 7 of the Coroners Act (Northern Ireland) 1959 is amended to include "virtual clinic" in the definition of "seen and treated", as a virtual examination is unlikely to satisfy the requirement to be "seen and treated" by a doctor "within twenty-eight days prior to" the death in the Coroners Act.”
“Minister Swann feels that the current position does not provide an assurance that deaths are appropriately referred to the coroner for investigation and that the removal of the original requirement increases the risk that untoward activity, malpractice or negligence could be concealed. Whilst he has concerns about the extension of the powers, he accepts that there are also arguments in favour of the extension, and he does not formally object to the extension of the provisions. <BR /> <BR />Minister Long stated that the provision has permitted the Coroners Service to continue to deliver an effective and efficient service throughout the pandemic in light of the marked increase in the number of virtual clinics that are delivered by GPs.”
“The Finance Committee Chairman subsequently wrote to Ministers Swann and Long on 4 February seeking further information on the nature of their concerns and any mitigations regarding an extension to the Coronavirus Act provisions. Minister Swann responded that, although he has concerns regarding paragraph 24 of schedule 13 to the Act, which allows any doctor to complete an MCCD provided that they can state the cause of death to the best of their knowledge and belief, his main concern relates to paragraph 26 of schedule 13. That provision relates to deaths that have not been referred to the coroner, where the deceased has not been seen and treated by a doctor within the previous 28 days.”
“The provisions do not put any restrictions on the public or the service that is provided; rather, they build on the positive lessons that were learned from the Coronavirus Act, which will assist the public to continue to be able to register deaths remotely until September. The provisions have reduced the need for face-to-face contact between the main stakeholders, including medical practitioners, informants, registrars and funeral directors, thereby assisting in reducing the possibility of spreading the infection. <BR /> <BR />In their responses to my letter and draft Executive paper of 21 January, Ministers Swann and Long outlined their position on the proposed extension of the provisions.”
“Part 1 relates to death and stillbirth certification, including who can sign the medical certificate of cause of death (MCCD) and when a death or stillbirth should be referred to the coroner. The Health and Justice Departments respectively have responsibility for decisions in those areas. Part 2 relates to death registration, which is the responsibility of the General Register Office (GRO) in my Department. Those provisions enable members of the public to register deaths remotely. They allow for the electronic transfer of documents and non-attendance in person at registration offices. They also enable the next of kin to register a death by telephone, as opposed to attending the registration office in person.”
“The order seeks to extend powers in the Coronavirus Act, specifically those relating to death certification and registration for a further six months, from 24 March 2022 to 24 September 2022. The provisions relate to temporary changes to powers that are in the Births and Deaths Registration (Northern Ireland) Order 1976, for which my Department has responsibility. However, while that is Department of Finance legislation, the inclusion of the temporary provisions in the Act was agreed between three Departments: Finance; Health; and Justice. The temporary provisions were included in the Act in order to ensure that the certification and registration of deaths and stillbirths continued during the pandemic, when all parts of the service were under extreme pressure. <BR /> <BR />The provisions are in two parts.”
“Certainly, when I visited and talked to town centre organisations and business support organisations, they continuously raised the Back in Business scheme as one that they would like to see back in place. They feel that it is of significant benefit in encouraging the uptake of vacant properties, which, as Mr O'Toole and other Members know, blight the landscape of town centres. It is a disincentive for people to come into town if it looks as though half the properties are vacant. We will, of course, assess that in order to make sure that the evidence stacks up over the lifetime of the scheme. <BR /> <BR />As I said, I am very grateful to Members for the support that they offered, and I ask them to support the measure. I commend the order to the Assembly.”
“Both circumstances are covered by the scheme applying to businesses occupying a long-term vacant property — that is, one that is vacant for 12 months or more. <BR /> <BR />Matthew O'Toole mentioned the scheme's cost. Given that there would have been no income from the properties if they had remained vacant, the cost of the previous scheme was assessed as being in the region of £500,000 per annum during the years in which it operated. Some 550 properties were supported between 2012 and 2017. <BR /> <BR />Matthew O'Toole also made some points about the Fiscal Commission. He was right: we have very few other revenue-raising options or financial levers. Of course, we need to assess carefully how we use those and the evidence of how the intervention actually has an impact. We will continue to do that.”
“Again, I thank Members for their useful comments during the discussion and debate. I believe that the scheme is worth reintroducing as an integral element of rebuilding the high street as we continue, hopefully, to emerge from the pandemic. Vacant commercial property is a blight on the appearance of high streets across the North. By reintroducing the scheme, we can ensure that more empty commercial properties start to be brought back into use. That will improve the appearance of towns and create jobs across the community. <BR /> <BR />A couple of points were raised. New businesses were raised by the Deputy Chair and Mr Muir. The scheme will apply to any new business or an existing business that wants to expand and occupy an additional premises.”
“Article 2 provides for the amendment of article 31D of the Rates (Northern Ireland) Order 1977, substituting the new end date of 31 March 2023. Article 2 also makes an amendment to ensure that the concessionary rate of liability will be granted for a period of 24 months in each case. <BR /> <BR />I look forward to Members' comments and commend the Rates (Temporary Rebate) (Amendment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2022 to the House.”
“The scheme is therefore a win-win when it comes to growing the economy, economic activity and tax revenue. <BR /> <BR />Between 2012 and 2017, when the scheme operated before, there were no instances of it being misused nor was there any evidence of displacement. As I mentioned, the reintroduction of the scheme will, however, continue to be monitored through economic evaluation over the next year to ensure that that remains the case. <BR /> <BR />I turn now to the statutory rule (SR) itself. Members of the Finance Committee have already been advised on its detail, and Members indicated at the SL1 stage that they were content for the scheme to be reintroduced and to run through to 31 March 2023. Article 1 of the order sets out the citation and commencement.”
“<BR /> <BR />I have seen up close the effects of the prolonged period of disruption in my constituency and in other towns and cities that I have visited in my ministerial role since 2020. Today's extension of the scheme will allow Land and Property Services (LPS) to continue to receive new applications to the scheme until 31 March 2023. It will help to moderate the business rates burden for businesses in the difficult first two years by providing certainty in their overheads and helping them to budget for their businesses. It will also help them to adjust to full rates liability in due course and grow the tax base. In the interim period, the Department will generate the same revenue as it would have generated had the property remained vacant.”
“<BR /> <BR />The original Back in Business scheme provided a one-year concession that allowed a 50% empty property relief or vacant rating charge to continue to apply to the new occupier for one year. That was available where a qualifying property had been empty for at least one year previously and had become occupied again. Today's order extends the duration of that tax concession to 24 months with the aim of building a solid platform for new high street occupation in the longer term, following the damage caused by the pandemic. The scheme will help to boost footfall in the high street as people return to shops and workers increasingly return to the office in the months ahead.”
“<BR /> <BR />The reintroduced scheme will incentivise the occupation of property on the high street that has been vacant for 12 months. The scheme will be subject to ongoing economic evaluation over the next year to monitor its progress. It was first introduced as an amendment to the Rates (Amendment) Act (Northern Ireland) 2012. At that time, it was introduced as part of a package of measures aimed at assisting ailing businesses and improving the appearance of our town and city centres. Now, 10 years on, in what is hopefully an increasingly post-pandemic business environment, we again find that those aims are equally valid for today's high street.”
“Before dealing with the order itself, I wish to set out some of the background to the measure. The purpose of the legislation is to reinstate the Back in Business scheme, which lapsed in 2017. When they returned in January 2020, the Executive agreed to the reintroduction of the scheme, but that was then suspended due to the advent of the pandemic and the implementation of the 100% rates holiday for many businesses, which is still in place at the moment. <BR /> <BR />Today's order re-implements the scheme, which will become operative again on 1 May 2022. That operative date will follow the ending of the first month's rates holiday for 2022-23 and will ensure that the scheme is up and running by the time the three months' rates holiday for 2022-23 ends on 30 June 2022.”
“As part of the consultation, the Rural Development Council expressed a view that even a fee-paying ATM is better than no ATM. On that basis, it was agreed that the exemption should apply to all ATMs in designated rural areas, whether fee-paying or free. That rationale remains valid and should continue, especially given the small number of ATMs that are supported as part of the scheme. Of course, it would be preferable if they did not charge, in recognition of the vital service that they provide, but the view was that they should still be supported. <BR /> <BR />I ask Members to support the measure, and I commend the order to the Assembly.”
“Of course, we do not have responsibility, as he accepts, but we have the ability to engage and influence banking. There are unique features to banking in the North and across the island. In recent times we have set up a banking forum, which allows the Finance Minister to bring together representatives of the banks, other financial institutions, trade unions and business organisations to discuss many of the issues that affect people's access to finance and banking services, as well as the approach that has been taken by the banks in recent times. That will be a useful arena for discussion, and we intend to continue with that in the time ahead. <BR /> <BR />Kellie Armstrong mentioned the absolute need for ATMs in rural communities. There was a discussion about the ones that charge as opposed to those that do not.”
“Jemma Dolan asked whether banks would remove ATMs if the exemption were not applied. The economics of maintaining ATMs are changing, and there are real pressures to remove them from non-profitable locations. The exemption provision is therefore modest but important. The British Bankers' Association and the Bank of Ireland had previously indicated that the rates exemption helped to maintain the retention of ATMs at existing sites. However, the British Bankers' Association did not consider that it substantively influenced the location of new ATMs. On balance, we feel that the support, although modest, continues to help ensure the viability of machines that are currently in receipt of the exemption. <BR /> <BR />Matthew O'Toole raised the broader issue of banking.”
“That decision, in May 2020, significantly altered the approach taken across Britain and here to how ATM facilities are valued for rates purposes, necessitating a review of ATMs here. All ATM facilities attached to a supermarket or a filling station have been reviewed, and those the presence of which presence represented a mutual benefit to the operator and the retailer are no longer considered to be separate properties for rates purposes. A further seven have been deleted from the list. That is in addition to the 34 that were deleted last year. None of the ATM apparatus on those premises has, however, been physically removed from the area occupied by the ATM, and it is now included in the rateable assessment of the attached shop.”
“I thank Members for their comments on the order, on wider issues affecting the extension of exemptions for ATMs and on access to services in rural areas generally. As things stand, the scheme is worth continuing for those who live in isolated rural communities and still depend on the availability of cash from ATMs. We all appreciate the difficulties that could be encountered in those communities from any measure that would lead to a reduction in the availability of ATMs, so, especially at this time, we should do all that we can to continue to support them. <BR /> <BR />A number of points were raised in the debate. The Deputy Chair asked about the impact of the Supreme Court ruling.”
“I will turn to the statutory rule (SR) itself. Article 1 of the order sets out the citation, commencement and interpretation provisions. Article 2, in turn, provides for the extension to 1 April 2023 as the date before which the scheme must end. Article 3 revokes the previous end date for the scheme laid out in last year's legislation. <BR /> <BR />I look forward to Members' comments, and I commend the rates order to the House.”
“Although the measure is modest in scale and cost, the scheme continues to assist with the retention of rural ATMs, which, as noted by the Committee, is important to many of our rural communities.”
“<BR /> <BR />The legislation that we are discussing will go some small way towards helping the retention of specific ATMs in rural areas by extending the scheme until the end of March 2023. The scheme will continue to apply to stand-alone rural ATMs that are individually valued on the valuation list; for example, in separate units on main streets or completely stand-alone units. As in previous years, it does not need to apply to ATMs that are located in, and valued as part of, banks or building societies, as those machines are subsumed within the overall value of those properties. The current revenue loss associated with the measure is modest: less than £100,000 in foregone rates revenue.”
“The order extends the rural ATM rates exemption scheme to the 2022-23 rating year. The scheme was reintroduced following the return of functioning institutions in 2020, having lapsed in 2017. The scheme has always been a small but important measure in the non-domestic rating system, with a policy objective of encouraging and sustaining the provision of ATMs in rural areas by removing any rates liabilities for those facilities. Previous research and analysis, along with feedback received during the 2019 business rates review conducted just prior to the pandemic, confirmed the value of and support for the scheme. In reintroducing the measure, the Executive took the view that the policy objectives behind the scheme remained important. On balance, that continues to be the case despite some recent changes in valuation case law.”
“I hope that there will be no impact, because it is within the authority of the Department of Justice, if it considers it to be a serious enough matter, to provide the necessary support. I met those who are directly responsible for the provision of services that rely on legal aid, and I discussed what is required with them. In my view, if the Department considers legal aid to be a priority, it can find the funding for it. That is not to say that it will not stretch other services, but that is the decision that every Department will have to take. When you prioritise something that is of significance, you deprioritise something else. That is the balancing exercise that we all have to do within the limited financial framework that we have.”
“That is the impact of 10 years of austerity Budgets that have cut public services to the bone. <BR /> <BR />When we get the opportunity to have a three-year Budget, we have to plan and prioritise across the Executive's collective priorities, and then all Ministers have to prioritise within the allocation that they have. That is where the legal aid issue could and should be sorted out.”
“I do not believe that Justice will see a net budget decrease. We have had the discussion many times. All Departments receive a budgetary increase over each of the three years under the proposed draft Budget. <BR /> <BR />I met representatives of the Law Society to discuss matters of legal aid and what support could be provided for the Department of Justice. The Member knows that the Department has autonomy over its budget and can prioritise areas that, it feels, are most in need of support. That is the choice that will face all Departments, regardless of what Budget might finally arrive with us, whenever it arrives: Departments will have to prioritise from within the funding that they have. We do not have all the funding that we would like to have to do all the things that we want to do.”
“As the Member undoubtedly knows, some of that will require us all to sit around a table and agree schemes and agree what funding is allocated to them.”
“I mentioned that we are giving rates relief, and part of today's business is on schemes that will give rates support for start-up businesses in the time ahead. The Member is retiring from his post, and I wish him well in the future. He has been a very effective representative for his community in East Derry. However, we have a collective responsibility to do what we can. We recognise that businesses in small towns, which are the backbone of our economy, are under pressure. We have a collective responsibility to encourage people into town centres and to take whatever measures are needed, be that rates relief or schemes to improve the high street.”
“The Member will know that many businesses will benefit from a further three-month rates holiday, until July in the new financial year. A lot of those businesses will not have paid any business rates from April 2020 until July 2022, and that is a very significant saving. Specific projects and programmes to support the high street will have to be brought forward by the Department for the Economy and approved by an Executive.”
“By all accounts, the voucher scheme was successful. I am very glad that it was because it stimulated some spending on the high street. As a rural representative, the anecdotal evidence that I have received is that businesses in small towns felt the benefit of that scheme. Our ability to carry out extra schemes requires approval: that is just a fact of life. It will be for the Department for the Economy to bring forward propositions to support businesses on the high street in the time ahead, but our ability to bring them into effect requires approval. <BR /> <BR />If the Department wants the Executive to fund a specific scheme, it will require an Executive to be in place to give that approval. When we do not have an Executive in place, there is not much more we can do. However, we have taken forward a rates initiative.”
“The draft Budget proposed a very significant allocation to the Department of Health to address a lot of the long-standing issues that have plagued it as a consequence of many years of austerity Budgets. The Budget was to finally address the issues of employing people and to fix cancer services and address waiting lists and health service reform. All of those things will go on hold until such times as we can agree on the allocations that are necessary for them. The Department of Health has the finances to continue to provide services, but everyone in the Chamber knows very well that if Health is only treading water, it is, in effect, getting worse. Our ability to do anything to support the people who rely on that service and fix the public spend on the health service needs budgetary approval through an Executive process.”
“<BR /> <BR />Of course, as I have said many times in response to all of those issues, the best and most certain way to provide the level of support that is needed right across the community is to ensure that we have the ability to sit around the table as a collective, with all of our differences, but take decisions as we have been doing over the last two years to provide support where it is needed most. That is what we need to do in the time ahead.”
“A number of additional schemes were brought forward as a consequence of the pandemic. The holiday hunger scheme was one of those, and it is a very beneficial and necessary scheme. There has been some discussion about how far we can ring-fence support for that scheme in the time ahead. We will certainly do all we can, within the restrictions that have been placed on us by the absence of an Executive, to make sure that critical areas such as that get the support that they need. We will leave no stone unturned in that regard.”
“That is why we have been pressing them for months on the crisis, which has been building since the autumn and worsening as time has gone on. I hope that they take the opportunity on Wednesday to announce significant interventions in that regard.”
“I have raised some of those issues this morning and over the past number of months. We find ourselves in an ever-increasing crisis as a consequence of a series of political decisions. Brexit has been detrimental to all our economic issues here. The protocol tries to mitigate those; it needs work, undoubtedly, but it is, in effect, a mitigation measure. <BR /> <BR />There are opportunities. The British Government have responsibility in relation to excise duties and VAT on energy bills. The energy companies have been doing well out of arrangements and making significant profits over the past number of years, and there is an opportunity to look at what their contribution can be. Only the British Government can address those matters.”
“We have not got the ability to allocate it, but I want us to be ready, if an Executive come back into place — I sincerely hope that they do in the near future — to hit the ground running in providing that necessary support to families and workers.”
“Those schemes are, undoubtedly, very welcome, but we recognise that they are not enough. The crisis has been deepening almost daily, and events in Ukraine have only added to that sense of crisis. There is clearly a need for more action. Some of that is the responsibility of the British Government. That is why I pressed them again this morning on taking action. We hope to see announcements on Wednesday that will have a significant impact on how people meet the challenges, but we have no indication of whether the British Government will take that opportunity. <BR /> <BR />On further schemes, as I have said many times, we have £300 million that came after the draft Budget was announced and that we were able to carry over. I asked some Departments to take forward propositions for how they might spend that.”
“It is a rural ATM support that specifically recognises problems with access to cash in rural areas. Urban centres tend to be served well enough by ATM provision. A number of rural ATMs have closed, so, to provide an incentive, we have given rates relief on rural ATMs. That is measured by the indices that dictate what a rural ward is. If the location is in what is considered a rural ward, it is eligible for the support. <BR /> <BR />More ATMs may open. In some situations in which banks have closed ATMs, other companies have provided them, and they may well be eligible for rates relief for rural ATMs. It is not fixed; it is based on meeting the rural ward criteria and providing that service. It is specific to rural areas, in recognition of the fact that such areas have particular problems with access to cash.”
“I understand that there is more digital banking now and fewer people are using branches, but you represent a rural community, as do I, and you see that those services are essential. We have been impressing on banks the need to keep supporting rural and peripheral communities. <BR /> <BR />Later this afternoon, we will bring forward the Rates Order in relation to rural ATMs. We are incentivising people to keep rural ATMs because it has become one of the only mechanisms for accessing cash in rural communities, so that is very important. We are doing what we can to continue to support access to cash but we need to continue to press collectively. We do not have responsibility for banks — it lies with London — but we need to press them to continue to support communities and particularly rural communities.”