Banks (Financial Exclusion and Access to Finance) Bill

What the bill does

A Bill to require banks to measure and disclose their performance in reducing financial exclusion, including exclusion from affordable credit, and in improving access to finance for small- and medium-sized businesses; to establish a system for rating banks according to that performance; to require banks to cooperate with credit unions and community development finance institutions to address financial exclusion and improve access to finance for small- and medium-sized businesses; and for connected purposes.

Progress through Parliament

What 2nd reading means, and what happens next

Second reading is the first full debate on the principle of the bill. The House votes on whether it should proceed at all.

If it passes, the bill goes to committee stage, where it is examined line by line and amendments are considered.

Read the full guide to this stage: What happens at second reading of a bill

Questions about the Banks (Financial Exclusion and Access to Finance) Bill

What stage is the Banks (Financial Exclusion and Access to Finance) Bill at?

The Banks (Financial Exclusion and Access to Finance) Bill is currently at 2nd reading in the UK Parliament.

Has the Banks (Financial Exclusion and Access to Finance) Bill become law?

Not yet. A bill becomes law only when it has passed both Houses and received Royal Assent. The Banks (Financial Exclusion and Access to Finance) Bill is currently at 2nd reading.

What happens next to the Banks (Financial Exclusion and Access to Finance) Bill?

If it passes, the bill goes to committee stage, where it is examined line by line and amendments are considered.

Who sponsored the Banks (Financial Exclusion and Access to Finance) Bill?

The Banks (Financial Exclusion and Access to Finance) Bill was sponsored by Gareth Thomas.

When was the Banks (Financial Exclusion and Access to Finance) Bill introduced?

It was introduced to Parliament on 14 January 2026, at first reading.

Other bills at 2nd reading

• Sovereign Grant Bill · John Healey
• Military Operations Bill · David Davis
• Lobular Breast Cancer Bill · John Milne
• Civil Aviation (Consumer Protection and Regulatory Reform) Bill [HL] · Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill
• Environmental Impact Assessment (Downstream Emissions) Bill · Harriet Cross
• Short-term Let Accommodation Bill · Rachael Maskell

See every bill before Parliament