Royal bank executives face grilling over closures

Royal Bank of Scotland executives will appear before MPS today to explain why the publiclyowned bank is closing 62 of its branches in Scotland.

Jane Howard, RBS’ managing director of personal banking, and Lee Matheson, chief executive of personal and business banking, will give evidence to the Scottish affairs committee, in the face of anger over the bank’s withdrawal from dozens of rural communities.

Written evidence from the Federation of Small Businesses revealed that RBS has cut its branch network by 70 per cent in the last five years. And Scottish Rural Action (SRA) claimed the closures discriminate against rural communities, with a survey of its members finding 95 per cent want RBS to reverse its decision.

SRA’S chief executive, Emma Cooper, said: “The proposed branch closures will have a huge impact on Scotland’s rural communities, our high streets, tourism and will impact most severely on the vulnerable.”

Liberal Democrat MP Christine Jardine, a committee member, said RBS executives “should expect a serious grilling”.

MPS will also hear from Unite union representatives, who have accused RBS of playing down the scale of job losses.