VerbatimParliament, as it happens

Payments: Innovation

Asked by Callum AndersonLabourTreasuryTabled Answered 4 September 2026UIN 24439

The question

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the proposed payments innovation objective on the time taken by innovative payments businesses to obtain regulatory approval.

Answered by Treasury

The Government has announced that it will seek to introduce a new secondary objective for the Bank of England to support safe innovation in vital payment systems and new forms of digital money, while ensuring that financial stability remains the Bank’s first priority.

This should help regulation keep pace with new technology, supporting the attractiveness of the UK as a location for payments innovation and investment.

The objective would not directly affect the process by which individual firms obtain regulatory authorisation or approval. The Bank does not operate an FCA-style authorisation regime for entities within scope of this objective. The objective instead concerns how the Bank exercises regulatory functions in this area.

Verbatim has judged this answer against the question that was actually asked — answered, partly answered, or evaded. Sign in to see the verdict →

Open this question in Verbatim →

Every written question, searchable

155,000 questions tabled since the election, with the answer each department gave — and the ones still unanswered, with the clock running. Free to search.

Search written questions →Read on Verbatim