Dundee LibDems call for stop to the spread of fee-charging cash machines

8.06.00am BST (GMT +0100) Sun 7th May 2006

Dundee Liberal Democrats have today (Sunday 7th May) backed the campaign led by Liberal Democrat Shadow Scottish Secretary Jo Swinson MP calling for action to stop the spread of fee-charging cash machines.

Jo Swinson has written to Treasury Minister Ivan Lewis on the issue urging him to meet the aims of the Nationwide Building Society's Free Access to Money campaign, which include banks and building societies stopping all future sell-offs of their ATM network, as well as standardised signs to show clearly whether cash machines will charge a fee.

Locally, Raymond Lawrie, Dundee's Liberal Democrat local party Convener, has backed Jo's campaign.

"I have been caught out by this in the past" says Raymond, mostly at shops and petrol stations or places where there are no other cash machines close by."

"In five years, we have gone from a situation where nearly all cash machines were free, to one in which almost half charge a fee. This is largely due to banks selling off "uneconomic" cash machines to companies who make their profits from the charges."

Raymond continued, "For many, these charges are an irritation but the real scandal is that they hit hardest those on low incomes, who can often only afford to take out smaller amounts at a time and so end up making more withdrawals.

"The whole idea that withdrawing £10 of your own money will cost you £11.50 or more is almost extortion!"

Related Links:

Jo Swinson calls for action from ATM summit.

Cash machines - Which? website.