MPs are to question senior Royal Bank of Scotland bosses over plans to axe 62 branches in Scotland.
Les Matheson, the chief executive of the corporate giant’s personal banking division and other senior RBS executives will appear before the UK Government’s Scottish Affairs select committee in the new year.
Closure plans will see the branch in Barra shutting.
No other bank operates on the island leaving the community without a banking service.
From July islanders seeking counter service will be forced to travel by ferry and road to South Uist.
RBS said it would retain the cash machine at Castlebay.
Committee chairman Pete Wishart said: “RBS's decision to close over 60 branches will have a serious impact on the people of Scotland and may leave some rural communities without a local bank.
“We will want to hear from RBS how such cuts can be justified by a bank that the UK Government, and therefore the taxpayer, still owns the majority stake in.
“We will reserve the right to extend this short inquiry if we feel we do not secure satisfactory responses; we are therefore also hoping to hear from the government and if necessary from Ross McEwan, chief executive of RBS."
RBS said the Barra branch will close on 14 June 2018.
The state-
Customers increasingly accessing online banking services resulted in a 40% drop in people using branches says the firm.
RBS bosses to be quizzed over bank closures
10 December 2017
