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Public to voice banking concerns Public to voice banking concerns
(40 minutes later)
The public's concerns about the banking crisis are being aired in Edinburgh at a special meeting of the House of Commons Treasury select committee.The public's concerns about the banking crisis are being aired in Edinburgh at a special meeting of the House of Commons Treasury select committee.
This evidence session is part of the committee's continuing inquiry into the banking crisis.This evidence session is part of the committee's continuing inquiry into the banking crisis.
The committee has already grilled financiers and regulators, and heard from business, consumers and clergymen.The committee has already grilled financiers and regulators, and heard from business, consumers and clergymen.
Entry to the event at Edinburgh City Chambers, which began at 1115 GMT, will be on a first-come, first-served basis. Entry to the event at Edinburgh City Chambers, which began at 1115 GMT, was on a first-come, first-served basis.
The Treasury committee, chaired by West Dumbartonshire MP, John McFall, will later travel to Halifax, before returning to Westminster to work up its report on what went wrong and what can be done to put it right. It's very important that there is an opportunity for people to vent their feelings John McFall MPTreasury Select Committee The Treasury committee, chaired by West Dumbartonshire MP John McFall, will later travel to Halifax, before returning to Westminster to work up its report on what went wrong and what can be done to put it right. One of the hardest questions the chief executives of the banks have got from ourselves was would they agree to the definition of a safe bank John McFall MPTreasury Select Committee
Mr McFall told BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme he wanted the meeting in Edinburgh to focus on how consumers could be better protected. Opening the session, Mr McFall said the views received would be incorporated into a report, due to be published at the beginning of April.
"This is the angle we're focusing on coming to Edinburgh, the role of the banks who are in receipt of public investment," he said. "That report will focus on how we got here, how we're getting ourselves through the present situation and what the future of financial regulation will look like," he said.
"How should they be discharging their duties and the concept of a utility bank, a safe bank because customers want their money to be safe? What views do people have on that? The business community for example. Is lending taking place already? I fear it's not." "Thereafter we will be focusing on the issue of financial regulation and the international dimension, and hopefully produce a report on that and not least on the issue of the consumer and the customer."
Mr McFall said he hoped to incorporate the views received into a report to be published at the beginning of April. One member of the public said the banks should focus on providing a basic banking service where "depositors could come in and be sure that their deposits were safe".
He added: "We now have a situation where billions of pounds are standing behind these banks, taxpayers' money and there is an anger and frustration by the public. Mr McFall said this tied up with one of the objectives of the inquiry, the concept of a "safe bank".
"It's very important that there is an opportunity for people to vent their feelings, to put their views forward and engage with the politicians and the policy makers." "I think one of the hardest questions the chief executives of the banks have got from ourselves was would they agree to the definition of a safe bank which was there for the protection of customers' monies," he said.