East Hull residents have been raising the concerns that many people have on this issue and I agree that we need action, including legislation, on it.

The use of cash has been declining for some time. This has only been accelerated by the pandemic, with consumers increasingly turning towards digital payments. However, that change is not taking place equally across all parts of society. There are still about one million people in the UK without a bank account and some households continue to rely on cash to budget or because of a lack of access to online banking.

I have long supported calls for the Government to bring forward proposals to legislate on this issue. I will continue to monitor progress on the consultation and to support efforts to press the Government for a serious plan of action for protecting access to cash.