FSB attacks decision to let banks off the hook.

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has reacted angrily to a provisional decision by the Competition Commission to lift price controls on the four main business banks. This is despite strong evidence that they are not complying with undertakings they signed up to in 2002.

Under a deal reached with the competition authorities, the main business banks (Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds TSB and the Royal Bank of Scotland Group) agreed to offer small businesses an account that pays interest on credit balances of at least 2.5 percentage points below the base rate or provide free banking or both. In addition they promised to advertise these benefits to their customers.

But an FSB survey of over 4,000 small businesses revealed that over 70 percent of them were not aware of the undertakings and more than half had not been offered either option.

Mike Cherry, FSB Financial Affairs Chairman, said:

“We are utterly bewildered by the Competition Commission’s provisional decision in this case. It flies in the face of all the evidence we have given and completely contradicts the experience of thousands of our members.

“Despite their promises to the contrary, there has been a worrying lack of transparency from the banks about the services they offer to small businesses.

“We have provided concrete evidence that the big four banks are not complying with the undertakings they signed up to in 2002 and the Competition Commission appears to have completely ignored it.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

1. The FSB’s banking survey, which received responses from over 4,000 small business owners, can be found here: http://www.fsb.org.uk/documentstore/filedetails.asp?id=377.

2. The Competition Commission’s provisional decision can be found here: http://www.competition-commission.org.uk/rep_pub/notices/notice_sme_banking.pdf.

3. The FSB is Britain’s biggest business organisation with over 205,000 members. It exists to protect and promote the interests of the self-employed, and all those who run their own business. More information is available at www.fsb.org.uk.

Contacts:

For interviews with FSB Chief Spokesman Stephen Alambritis or other senior FSB personnel please contact the FSB Press Office.

FSB Press Office
Matthew Knowles: 020 7592 8113 / 07917 628991

Simon Briault: 020 7592 8128 / 07917 628998

Belinda Webb: 020 7592 8121 / 07825 125 695

For regional FSB contacts please go to www.fsb.org.uk/regions