Cash acceptance

That this House is concerned at the rapidly increasing trend for UK businesses, local authorities and leisure facilities, including those supported by taxpayer funding, to refuse to accept cash for payments; appreciates that this issue is of ever-increasing importance to the 16 million British adults who run their household budgets using cash, along with many of the 13 million UK citizens over 65 struggling to make ends-meet; recognises that the estimated 4 million people in the UK at risk in abusive relationships may use discretely saved cash as an escape route from abuse; deplores the fact that the imposition of app-only payment, including for car parking and other travel-related purchases, severely threatens the financial inclusion of the 8 million plus adults who do not own smart phones; notes that most of the UK’s European neighbours, including Belgium, France, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway and Spain, have already put cash acceptance legislation in place; understands that a recent survey by YouGov established that 71% of British adults want similar legal measures introduced in the UK; and calls on the Government to introduce legislation to require all businesses in the UK to accept cash for payment.