I rise to present a petition on bank closures in North Ayrshire.

The petition states:

The petition of the constituency of North Ayrshire and Arran,

Declares that there is an urgent need to tackle the exodus of high street banks from North Ayrshire; expresses extreme concern about the recent decision by TSB Bank to close its branches in Kilbirnie, Largs and Saltcoats; notes that seven of the ten towns in the constituency of North Ayrshire & Arran – namely West Kilbride, Dalry, Ardrossan, Stevenston, Beith, and now Kilbirnie are now without any high street bank, making it one of the worst hit constituencies in the UK for bank branch closures; declares that many high street businesses are adversely impacted by bank branch closures, as they face increased insurance costs without local access to night safes to deposit cash at the end of the business day; further declares that local communities, particularly elderly and disabled residents who are more likely to face digital exclusion, will suffer because of these decisions which increasingly force consumers to bank online; and further expresses deep disappointment that customers feel they have no choice but to accept online banking, however reluctantly or endure lengthy journeys in order to effectively manage their money.

The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges the UK Government to work in partnership with the banking industry to deliver banking hubs for communities to ensure financial inclusion for all.

And the petitioners remain, etc.

[P002618]