A Lanarkshire community council who fought to secure banking services in their town have backed calls for tougher legislation on the sector.
Cambuslang Community Council took action after all three of the area's banks closed within months of one another.
They eventually secured funding to take part in a trial BankHUB project that placed banking services within the post office on Cambuslang Main Street.
Now a new report by the Scottish Affairs Committee has listed several concerns about access to cash being "decimated" across Scotland, with particular concerns regarding the impact on the elderly and more vulnerable members of society.
John Bachtler, the chair of the community council, told Lanarkshire Live the report echoed the concerns of locals in the area, and that it emphasised the need for action to be taken.
He said: "The Scottish Affairs Committee deserve congratulations for another excellent report on access to cash in Scotland and maintaining the pressure on the UK Government to introduce tougher legislation on the provision of banking services.
"We recognise all too well the problems caused for residents, especially the financially vulnerable, and for businesses as a result of branch closures.
"We had exactly these problems in Cambuslang after our three branches closed in under 18 months back in 2016-17.
"Following the submission by Cambuslang Community Council to the Scottish Affairs Committee in 2019, we were grateful that the Committee launched their first cash access report in Cambuslang.
"It was through that launch in 2019 that we got to know key people in the financial sector and heard about the Access to Cash Pilot scheme.
"We applied successfully to the scheme which led to Cambuslang piloting the BankHUB model, as this latest Committee report recognises.
"We agree with the committee that more needs to be done. There are many unbanked communities across Scotland that urgently need action to improve their access to cash, whether through BankHUBs, as in Cambuslang, or other measures. "
The report found that half a million people across Scotland dependent on cash were at risk of being forgotten by banks due to the unprecedented rate of closures.
It suggested that further protections be introduced for customers reliant on cash, and that the UK Government seek a long-term commitment from banks to maintain appropriate banking services for their customers using the Post Office.
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