Examination of Witnesses (Questions 940-944)
MR JAMES
PLASKITT
22 MAY 2006
Q940 Chairman: One issue is the banks
themselves because they gave you 182 million. They have not spoken
to you. Will you, as a result of this hearing today, contact the
major banks and have a meeting with them on the issue because
if the banks are not on side, if we do not get this transition
right, we are all going to be losers. Would you meet the chief
executives of the banks rather than just a one off meeting between
Ian Mullen and Stephen Timms at a pension conference?
Mr Plaskitt: I have no difficulty
meeting the chief executives of the banks. I have done it in this
Committee many times and can do it in a different capacity. The
banks are not in the dark because we have fully briefed their
association.
Q941 Chairman: Will you meet them?
Mr Plaskitt: I have just said
I have no problem meeting them.
Q942 Chairman: You will meet them?
Mr Plaskitt: I have no problem
meeting them to talk with them.
Q943 Chairman: Your department will
contact them.
Mr Plaskitt: I have no difficulty
with that.
Q944 Chairman: What plans does your
department have to bid for funds for financial inclusion work
as part of the comprehensive spending review next year?
Mr Plaskitt: We have a lot of
money in the pipeline already for financial inclusion work, as
I said in answer to your first question. Some of those funds run
forward so we have a lot of extra funding available which we are
just beginning to roll out now. Many of the programmes funded
by that will last well into the period of time covered by the
next comprehensive spending review. There is a substantial amount
of additional funding up and running and being allocated now which
will have long term consequences.
Chairman: Minister, thank you very much
for your time. It is lovely to see you again. We will be seeing
you as time goes on with the Post Office Card Account and we will
invite you back.
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