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<p>The Government believes that all customers, wherever they live, should have appropriate
access to banking services. Nonetheless, decisions on opening and closing branches
are a commercial issue for banks and building societies. The Government does not intervene
in these decisions or make direct assessments of these branch networks.</p><p> </p><p>Guidance
from the Financial Conduct Authority sets out its expectation of firms when they are
deciding to reduce their physical branches or the number of free-to-use ATMs. Firms
are expected to carefully consider the impact of planned branch closures on the everyday
banking and cash access needs of their customers and consider possible alternative
access arrangements. This ensures that the implementation of closure decisions is
undertaken in a way that treats customers fairly.</p><p /><p>Regarding the ATM network
specifically, LINK (the scheme that runs the UK's largest ATM network) has commitments
to protect the broad geographic spread of free-to-use ATMs and is held to account
against these commitments by the Payment Systems Regulator.</p><p> </p><p>LINK publishes
the total number of free-to-use and pay-to-use ATMs across the UK on a regular basis.
Further information is available on LINK’s website: <a href="https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.link.co.uk%2F&data=05%7C01%7CCaitlin.Naylor%40hmtreasury.gov.uk%7C9594dcc9dba942df10a608db2c4fcb2e%7Ced1644c505e049e6bc39fcf7ac51c18c%7C0%7C0%7C638152493436287470%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=9ECPJzyEjulep1ntwl097xwz51OQV8q5TabkBplVTFM%3D&reserved=0"
target="_blank">https://www.link.co.uk/</a></p><p> </p><p>Alternative options for
access can be via telephone banking, through digital means such as mobile or online
banking, and the Post Office. New shared banking hubs are also being introduced, providing
basic banking services and dedicated space where community bankers from major banks
can meet customers of that bank.</p>
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