CALLS to ensure face-to-face access to banking services are being echoed in the Wee County following a Scottish Government report into branch closures.

The document from the Economy, Jobs and Fair Work Committee looks at the impact of the closures, particularly on the vulnerable and those in rural communities, and makes a number of recommendations for action from the UK Government.

It calls for a review of the Access to Banking Standard, wants to ensure Post Office services which are subsidised by the UK Government are properly funded as they take on banking and also looks at the RBS.

The bank, which is set to close its High Street branch in Alloa this November, is partly-owned by the taxpayer, but the government outlined it does not intervene in commercial decisions.

MP Luke Graham and MSP Keith Brown have both been campaigning against the closures.

The SNP’s Mr Brown chastised the RBS, saying the report is “damning” in its “failures” to take due consideration of the impact of the closures.

The bank was quoted in the report as saying: “Closing a branch is not an easy decision; we know that it impacts our customers, our colleagues and our communities, many of who have grown up with the bank”.

MSP Brown also chastised the UK Government for “refusing to step in and ensure vital banking services are protected”.

He continued: “The report makes many specific recommendations for action from the UK Government, which has responsibility for banking and regulation, and these should be implemented without delay.

“It is simply not enough for the Tory UK Government to ignore the impact of these closures on local communities any longer, particularly when it is vulnerable people who will be most affected by the savage bank closure programme currently being imposed.”

MP Luke Graham reiterated the government’s shares in RBS are held at “arms-length” so it does not dictate operational decisions, “only ensure that the tax payer gets its money back – with premium owed”.

He said he “fought hard” against closures, meeting with all levels of RBS staff and raising the issue at parliament.

Mr Graham added: “Through these local campaigns we managed to extend the life of the Alloa branch to November 2018. I am still pressurising RBS and the Lending Standards Board to try and keep branches open.

“I wish the SNP would use the powers they have rather than once again blaming Westminster; Edinburgh has the powers to offer incentives to keep RBS in Alloa, such as discounting business rates – powers demanded and now not used.

“Once again, the SNP fall back on the same tune of blaming someone else.”

He added he welcomes continued funding for postmasters and that he would like to see a review of the Access to Banking Standard, with a special focus on vulnerable groups and rural communities.

The MP concluded: “I will raise this in parliament, if any of the SNP would like to join me in this campaign and work together, my door is wide open.”