§ Mr. WelshTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will investigate high street banks' use of bank charges; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. NelsonBank charges for small business customers were looked at in a Bank of England survey announced to the House by the former Chancellor on 26 January 1993Official Report, columns 621–23. They were also mentioned in a more recent report by the bank of the financing of small firms. Neither report highlighted the level of bank charges as a significant problem.
The Consumers' Association published a report on retail banking last December which showed that overdraft and other fees varied considerably between current accounts. The report also found that it could be worth while for customers to move their accounts to the institution which offers the most appropriate services for their needs.