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1059769

	registered interest
	date	12/02/2019
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Credit Unions
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many credit unions have been involved in the Credit Union Expansion Project; and in which region do they operate.
	tabling member constituency	East Londonderry
	tabling member printed	Mr Gregory Campbell
	uin	220111
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/02/2019 answer text <p>Over 70 Credit Unions benefited from the Credit Union Expansion Project with products such as an Automated Lending and Decision System. These credit unions operated across England, Wales and Scotland. The Credit Union Expansion Project did not include credit unions in Northern Ireland as the aim of the project was to drive up membership of GB credit unions from a very low base. Across GB less than 1% of the population were members of a credit union at the outset of the project. The situation in Northern Ireland is different with over 26% of the population being members of credit unions. The Minister for Pensions and Financial Inclusion met with representatives of Northern Ireland credit unions on the 20 July 2018 in Belfast.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 18/02/2019 17:45:45 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	1409 label Biography information for Mr Gregory Campbell

1144472

	registered interest
	date	03/09/2019
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Credit Unions
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the recent talks between the Minister for Pensions and Financial Inclusion and credit unions in Northern Ireland, what lessons have been learned by his Department on the expansion of credit unions for the England, Wales and Scotland.
	tabling member constituency	East Londonderry
	tabling member printed	Mr Gregory Campbell
	uin	286141
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p>It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.</p><p /><p /> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 09/09/2019 16:34:17 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	1409 label Biography information for Mr Gregory Campbell

991171

	registered interest
	date	19/10/2018
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Credit Unions
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the credit union expansion project.
	tabling member constituency	East Londonderry
	tabling member printed	Mr Gregory Campbell
	uin	181556
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/10/2018 answer text <p>Government is committed to facilitating sustainable financial services that give consumers greater choice in accessing credit. Credit union membership in Great Britain has increased year-on-year since 2014, rising to around 1.32 million members in 2017; this was an increase of over 150,000 individuals over the 3 year period. It is even more encouraging that credit unions are becoming more popular with junior members; in 2017 there were over 139,000 junior members of credit unions in Great Britain compared to around 128,000 in 2014.</p><p> </p><p>The Credit Union Expansion Project (CUEP) aims were for participating credit unions to modernise and grow in a financially sustainable way, over time. The contractor aimed to deliver that by enabling credit unions to access a standardised banking service.</p><p>CUEP has delivered an Automated Loans and Decision tool (ALD) used by over 70 credit unions, centralised services such as a standardised front facing website, and that the ALD has allowed credit unions to achieve up to 40% administrative savings on delivering loans and reduce provision for unpaid debt by over £1 million. CUEP also led to a number of credit unions to merge, and others to work together to develop standardised products and deliver local marketing campaigns to increase membership. CUEP contributed to credit unions on the platform to increase the value of loans made.</p><p>Due to the Contractors failure to meet contractual milestones, DWP terminated the CUEP contract on 16<sup>th</sup> February 2018. Whilst the contractor has not met their contractual agreement, they have delivered a banking platform that allows credit union members to receive a range of banking services and benefit from more affordable credit. At the point the contract was terminated the platform was being used by three credit unions with a total of approximately 16.5k members allowing members to benefit from 24 hour online access to their accounts, and receive faster payments on a loan on the same day, usually within 4 hours.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 24/10/2018 15:11:56 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	1409 label Biography information for Mr Gregory Campbell

1536242

	registered interest
	date	26/10/2022
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Credit Unions
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of Section 63 and Schedule 14 of the Financial Services and Markets Bill on parity of Northern Ireland credits unions with those in Great Britain.
	tabling member constituency	Foyle
	tabling member printed	Colum Eastwood
	uin	72482
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/10/2022 answer text <p>The Government is a strong supporter of the mutuals sector and recognises the unique role credit unions play in their communities, providing savings and affordable loans to their members.</p><p> </p><p>Clause 63 introduces Schedule 14 of the Financial Services and Markets Bill 2022, which makes amendments to the Credit Unions Act 1979 to allow credit unions in Great Britain to offer a wider range of products and services, thereby supporting the growth, diversification, and development of the sector.</p><p> </p><p>Responsibility for credit unions in Northern Ireland is a devolved matter.</p><p> </p><p>Officials have engaged with counterparts in the Northern Ireland Department for the Economy and are willing to engage further should they wish to implement something similar for credit unions in Northern Ireland.</p> answering member constituency Arundel and South Downs answering member printed Andrew Griffith question first answered 31/10/2022 14:24:40 answering member 4874 label Biography information for Andrew Griffith
	tabling member	4846 label Biography information for Colum Eastwood

1626732

	registered interest
	date	10/05/2023
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Credit Unions
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an estimate of the number of credit unions operating in the UK in each year since 2010.
	tabling member constituency	York Central
	tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
	uin	184430
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/05/2023 answer text <p>Annual statistics on credit unions in the UK are publicly available from the <a href="https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/statistics/details/further-details-about-credit-union-statistics-data" target="_blank">Bank of England website</a>. Details of registered co-operative societies and the years they are or have been active can be accessed from the <a href="https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmutuals.fca.org.uk%2F&amp;data=05%7C01%7Clydia.gallyerbarnett%40hmtreasury.gov.uk%7C557ffd7d44a444d4614c08db522c1d96%7Ced1644c505e049e6bc39fcf7ac51c18c%7C0%7C0%7C638194121649573500%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=KFIzeiGgdvhACshDUslY7nkM%2BUr%2FmSX2rWb7%2B6jGWSQ%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">Mutuals Public Register</a>.</p><p> </p><p>Additionally, the latest Co-op Economy Report reveals that the number of independent co-operatives in the UK grew by 1.2% in 2020, despite the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic. There are now over 7,000 independent co-operatives, with more than 250,000 employees and nearly 14 million UK co-operative members. These co-operatives contributed £39.7 billion to the UK economy in 2021, up by £1.1 billion from 2020.</p> answering member constituency Arundel and South Downs answering member printed Andrew Griffith grouped question UIN 184431 question first answered 15/05/2023 14:21:05 answering member 4874 label Biography information for Andrew Griffith
	tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1654907

	registered interest
	date	20/07/2023
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Credit Unions
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to increased mortgage interest rates, what steps his Department is taking to promote credit unions.
	tabling member constituency	Barnsley East
	tabling member printed	Stephanie Peacock
	uin	195553
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/09/2023 answer text <p>The pricing of mortgages is a commercial decision for lenders, including relevant credit unions, in which the Government does not intervene. However, we recognise this is a concerning time for mortgage borrowers.</p><p> </p><p>On Friday 23 June the Chancellor met with the UK’s largest mortgage lenders, UK Finance and the Financial Conduct Authority to discuss how lenders will provide support for those who encounter problems keeping up with their mortgage payments. At this meeting, lenders agreed to a new Mortgage Charter to support borrowers struggling with their mortgage payments that was published on 26 June. The Charter sets out the standards signatory lenders, which includes some credit unions, will adopt when helping their customers, including new flexibilities to help customers manage their mortgage payments over a short period.</p><p> </p><p>The Charter is in addition to the significant safeguards already in place for consumers in the mortgage market. Financial Conduct Authority rules require lenders to engage individually with their customers who are struggling or who are worried about their payments in order to provide tailored support. The Government has also taken measures aimed at helping people to avoid repossession, including Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI) loans, and protection in the courts through the Pre-Action Protocol.</p><p> </p><p>More widely, the Government is taking forward amendments to the Credit Unions Act 1979 through the Financial Services and Markets Act (FSMA) 2023 to allow the credit union sector to grow, by offering a wider range of products and services to their members. FSMA 2023 is central to delivering the Government’s vision to grow the economy and create an open, sustainable, and technologically advanced financial services sector.</p> answering member constituency Arundel and South Downs answering member printed Andrew Griffith grouped question UIN 195552 question first answered 06/09/2023 15:30:28 answering member 4874 label Biography information for Andrew Griffith
	tabling member	4607 label Biography information for Stephanie Peacock

1670088

	registered interest
	date	14/11/2023
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Credit Unions
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department is taking steps to help (a) support and (b) promote credit unions.
	tabling member constituency	Stockport
	tabling member printed	Navendu Mishra
	uin	2021
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/11/2023 answer text <p>The Government is a strong supporter of credit unions, recognising the vital role that they play in the financial wellbeing of their communities, providing savings and affordable loans to their members. The Government is committed to ensuring that credit unions are supported in maximising their growth and success.</p><p> </p><p>This summer, the Government amended the Credit Unions Act 1979 so that credit unions in Great Britain can offer a wider range of products and services. These changes allow credit unions to offer hire purchase agreements, conditional sale agreements, and insurance distribution services, diversifying their income streams. This will enable credit unions to continue to grow sustainably for the future and supports them in the vital role they play in financial inclusion.</p><p> </p><p>Additionally, to date, the Government has allocated £145 million in dormant assets funding to Fair4All Finance which works to improve the availability of affordable credit, including through support for community finance providers.</p><p> </p><p>The Government is continuing to work with credit unions and other industry members to assess how we can best support the sector going forward.</p> answering member constituency Hitchin and Harpenden answering member printed Bim Afolami question first answered 20/11/2023 17:18:51 answering member 4639 label Biography information for Bim Afolami
	tabling member	4811 label Biography information for Navendu Mishra

1023107

	registered interest
	date	11/12/2018
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Credit Unions
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	What further steps he plans to take to support credit unions.
	tabling member constituency	Harrow West
	tabling member printed	Gareth Thomas
	uin	908141
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/12/2018 answer text <p>The government remains committed to supporting credit unions, which provide vital services to local communities.</p><p> </p><p>At Autumn Budget 2018, the Chancellor announced a package of measures to support the social and community lending sector, including credit unions.</p><p> </p><p>This includes a prize-linked savings scheme for credit unions, simplifying regulation to make it easier for Registered Social Landlords to refer to credit unions, and a challenge fund to create technological solutions for credit unions and Community Development Finance Institutions.</p> answering member constituency Salisbury answering member printed John Glen question first answered 11/12/2018 17:04:01 answering member 4051 label Biography information for John Glen
	tabling member	177 label Biography information for Gareth Thomas

1082539

	registered interest
	date	06/03/2019
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Credit Unions
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what support his Department is providing to Credit Unions to improve their governance policies.
	tabling member constituency	Glasgow East
	tabling member printed	David Linden
	uin	229202
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/03/2019 answer text <p>The government remains committed to supporting credit unions, which provide vital services to financially under-served communities and contribute to the diversity of the UK’s financial services sector.</p><p> </p><p>At Autumn Budget 2018, the Chancellor announced a two-year pilot of a new prize-linked savings scheme offered through credit unions. This will support the credit union sector through increased membership, awareness and deposits, as well as encouraging participants to build up savings to help them cope with financial shocks. The Chancellor also announced a new £2 million challenge fund to promote innovative solutions from the UK’s Fintech sector to address challenges faced by social and community lenders, including credit unions.</p><p> </p><p>This Government believes improving governance in the sector is best led by the sector itself, and supports ABCUL’s work in this regard.</p> answering member constituency Salisbury answering member printed John Glen question first answered 11/03/2019 14:19:08 answering member 4051 label Biography information for John Glen
	tabling member	4640 label Biography information for David Linden

1122539

	registered interest
	date	23/04/2019
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Credit Unions
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect of discontinuities in credit union capital requirements on credit unions' capacity to grow assets beyond £10 million; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Glasgow South West
	tabling member printed	Chris Stephens
	uin	246542
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/04/2019 answer text <p>Representatives from credit unions have raised issues with me related to capital requirements, most recently when I spoke at the Association of British Credit Unions Ltd (ABCUL) conference in March 2019. Capital requirements for credit unions are set by the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA), in line with their mandate to promote the safety and soundness of firms.</p><p> </p><p>The PRA is independent from government and is responsible for ensuring the credit union sector is effectively regulated and financially stable.</p><p> </p><p>The government remains committed to supporting credit unions, which provide vital services to financially under-served communities and contribute to the diversity of the UK’s financial services sector. Credit union membership and assets continue to grow, with membership passing 2 million for the first time in 2018 and total assets growing to over £3.3 billion.</p> answering member constituency Salisbury answering member printed John Glen grouped question UIN 246543 246544 question first answered 29/04/2019 14:19:31 answering member 4051 label Biography information for John Glen
	tabling member	4463 label Biography information for Chris Stephens