That the Parliament expresses its dismay and concern at the announcement of further main street bank branch closures throughout Scotland; understands that the TSB is to close 17 branches, including its premises on Maryhill Road in Glasgow; notes that this announcement follows similar recent decisions impacting on Maryhill and Springburn constituency, with the closure of the Clydesdale Bank in Springburn and RBS branches in both Possilpark and Maryhill, believes that it is a major worry that this latest proposed closure will now leave the constituency without a single high street bank; considers that such closures impact disproportionately on people in deprived communities who are more likely to be both financially and digitally excluded; condemns what it sees as the practice of a major bank, yet again, withdrawing from a community without any meaningful consultation; agrees that such closures have the greatest detrimental effect on disabled, poor and older people as well as fragile small businesses; calls on the TSB to urgently review its decision to close the Maryhill branch; believes that, despite reduced footfall in some branches, there is an imperative to find a way of offering continuity of mainstream banking service provision in the poorest communities, and calls on all tiers of government to work in partnership with the banking sector to identify such a model and to consider introducing regulations that will support banks in meeting what it sees as their obligations to society.
Supported by:
Clare Adamson, Colin Beattie, James Dornan, Kenneth Gibson, Jenny Gilruth, Clare Haughey, Bill Kidd, Richard Lyle, Gillian Martin, John Mason, Ivan McKee, Stuart McMillan, Gil Paterson, Ash Regan, David Torrance, Sandra White