MPs tell banks to invest more in services across Northern Ireland
BANK customers in rural Northern Ireland are being particularly hard hit by branch closures, while banks are also failing to lend enough to small businesses in the region, MPs said today.
Parliamentarians published a report asking if banks’ reluctance to lend to small businesses is also hindering Northern Ireland’s economic recovery.
“The banks have assured us they are ‘open for business’: it is essential that they now put their money where their mouth is to help small businesses play their part in Northern Ireland’s economic recovery,” said Laurence Robertson, chair of the Northern Ireland affairs committee.
“We also believe that at the level of customer service and IT services need to improve considerably for banks themselves to really play their part.”