Baroness Tonge – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2015-12-07.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what advice they have given to banks concerning closing bank accounts of those NGOs supporting the Palestinians.

Lord O’Neill of Gatley

The Government does not advise banks around the closure of bank accounts of NGOs: it is for a bank itself to decide whether or not to offer products or services to certain individuals or groups, and it would not be appropriate for the Government to seek to control the commercial decisions of banks and other financial institutions, nor compel them to make a specific decision about a bank account. Banks take such decisions taken in accordance with their business strategies, risk appetite and legal and regulatory requirements.