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<p>Ministers and officials have received representations from a wide range of organisations
and individuals who have been affected by account closure. Officials have discussed
the issue of access to banking with individual Muslim organisations as well as representative
groups such as the Muslim Charities Forum and Bond.</p><p> </p><p>The Government remains
concerned about the growth of de-risking and the implications it has for NGOs, economic
growth, financial inclusion and financial stability. We recognise that this trend
remains a global problem, and have taken concrete steps to address this. We put the
issue on the G20 agenda in 2015 and, closer to home, we have encouraged the banking
sector to produce new guidance to help those affected by de-risking to open a UK bank
account, by setting out what information banks will require in order to comply with
relevant regulation and the questions they will need to ask. We have encouraged those
affected to consider using their bank’s formal complaint service or, if they believe
they have been treated unfairly or unreasonably, to consider referring the case to
the Financial Ombudsman Service. We have also encouraged those affected to use the
Business Account Finder provided by MoneyFacts to locate an alternative account provider.</p><p>
</p><p>In order to continue dialogue with the NGO community on these matters, a Government-NGO
Working Group will shortly be convened to explore concerns and identify solutions
on the impact of regulation and banking practices on NGO operations in fragile states.
The group will examine the specific challenges faced in getting aid into hard-to-reach
communities.</p>
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