Shops will not be compelled to accept cash, a government minister has said, despite concerns that certain marginalised people could be excluded where cash isn’t accepted.
As part of an inquiry into the acceptance of cash, economic secretary to the Treasury Emma Reynolds told the Committee on Tuesday (28) that the government has no plans to compel big or small firms to accept cash.
"We have no plans to regulate businesses - big or small - to compel them to accept cash," she said.
The UK was "not anywhere near" being a cashless society, with convenience stores planning to accept notes and coins for years, said Reynolds, adding that tackling digital exclusion was still key for those who might struggle.
Members of the committee pointed to evidence they had received from victims of domestic and economic abuse who said they only had an escape route with cash.
Card payments dominate ways of paying, and consumers are increasingly using their smartphones to pay for things.
However, notes and coins were used in a fifth of shop transactions last year, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC), as shoppers found cash helped them to budget better.
It was the second year in a row that cash use in shops had risen following a decade of falls.
Bank branch and ATM closures have prompted concerns around the ability to use cash, as have the struggles among some people to pay in cash for goods and services such as shopping and parking.
Reynolds later told the hearing: “I think we’re saying that businesses should have the flexibility to offer the choice in payments that they think their customers need and that we are not minded or we don’t have any plans to regulate to force business to accept cash. But we do know that there are many businesses who still do.”
She said a plan to force businesses which provide essential services to accept cash would not be easy to implement because, “it’s so difficult to define… where would it stop and where would it end?”.
She later added: “As I’ve said, the focus of the government is on the access to cash regime, which does relate to the acceptance of cash, because if businesses don’t have places to go to deposit cash, that’s when they stop accepting cash.
“We don’t have a plan to go towards a cashless society. Yes, we do want to ensure that we’re at the leading edge of innovation and we do want to combat digital exclusion but we think there is a role for cash going forward, otherwise we wouldn’t have been committed to the access to cash regime and to 350 banking hubs.”
Commenting on Reynolds' declaration, Ron Delnevo, chair of Payment Choice Alliance, expressed hope that Treasury Committee will most likely recommend some legislation to guarantee the British public can use cash.
"Also in February, the Payment Choice Alliance will be in Parliament meeting with MPs who support cash and Payment Choice. There are hundreds of them, including 70 per cent + of Labour MPs," he stated.
Post office Horizon scandal campaigners have slammed the government for extending a post-Brexit contract worth £67 million with the controversial firm Fujitsu.
A recent report by The Independent stated that His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has granted a year-long extension to Fujitsu, which developed the faulty software leading to the wrongful prosecution of hundreds of subpostmasters for theft and false accounting, to run its Trader Support Service (TSS),
Fujitsu ruled itself out of bidding for government contracts in January last year due to its role in the Horizon Post Office scandal.
But the extension, worth £66.8m and detailed in documents seen by the media house, was approved because it is not a new contract.
Former sub post-mistress Seem Misra OBE has criticised the government over this move.
She stated on X, "We (SPMR) couldn't work due to wrongful convictions, yet Fujitsu—whose system destroyed lives—is expanding. What have they offered this time to stay quiet? Where's the justice?"
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Lord Arbuthnot, who campaigned for wrongly convicted sub postmasters, said it was “a worrying decision by the government on several levels”.
“First, it sends Fujitsu and other companies the message that the country doesn’t care about the unethical behaviour shown by Fujitsu in the Post Office scandal.
“Second, it weakens the government’s bargaining power in requiring Fujitsu to bear a substantial portion of the cost of that scandal.
“Third, it suggests that the government is uncomfortably dependent on Fujitsu. And fourth, it ignores the fact that Fujitsu’s capability on this contract may be no better than their Post Office capability," he told The Independent.
“Why didn’t they start work earlier on finding someone else?”
Meanwhile, HMRC said the extension was needed in order to “ensure a period of stabilisation” while new trading arrangements come into place under the Windsor Framework.
It has promised to run a procurement process in the coming months to replace Fujitsu in delivering the service.
Fujitsu in the past has won nearly £6.8bn in nearly 200 contracts from the public sector, including 11 for HMRC to the value of over £1bn, and 12 contracts with the Ministry of Defence for £582m.
High streets need to optimise for midweek office workers as Brits return to office, as shown by latest data on footfall, suggesting areas of focus for retailers such as extending trading hours in the evening and paying attention on grab-and-go meals.
According to the latest data from retail tech specialist MRI Software, retail footfall bucked seasonal trends in January, rising +1.4 per cent year on year across all UK retail destinations,
This marks the first annual increase in January footfall since 2016 (+1.2 per cent), outside of the pandemic period, suggesting that a stronger return to office work is driving retail visits as businesses push employees back to in-person work.
As expected, post-holiday footfall dropped sharply month on month, falling by almost -20 per cent across all UK retail destinations.
The decline was most pronounced in the second week of January, coinciding with schools and offices reopening, exacerbated by heavy snowfall and widespread travel disruptions.
High streets bore the steepest decline, with footfall plunging -22.4 per cent from December to January, followed by shopping centres at -21.7 per cent, while retail parks fared slightly better with a -16.5 per cent decline.
However, the shift back to office-based work was evident throughout January.
Weekday footfall rose by +1.6 per cent year on year, while weekend footfall dropped by -3.5 per cent, underscoring the growing weekday retail opportunity.
MRI Software’s Central London Back to Office benchmark showed a +1.4 per cent annual footfall increase, largely driven by a +4.4 per cent uplift during early evening hours (17:00-20:00). The trend suggests that after-work activity is picking up, offering retailers an opportunity to tap into office workers' midweek spending habits.
Data from MRI Software’s Consumer Pulse report reveals that evening shopping (post-5PM) is now the most common time for office workers to visit retail destinations, with 34 per cent preferring to shop after work.
Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays see the highest overlap between office attendance and retail activity, with 58 per cent of respondents working in the office on Tuesdays and aligning shopping trips for midweek convenience.
Additionally, 31 per cent of respondents reported visiting high streets during lunch hours—more than any other retail destination—highlighting the importance of proximity and convenience for office workers on their break.
Experts have raised warning over illegal high strength nicotine pouches saying they could cause inadvertent overdosing and harm to teenagers and young adults.
According to a recent BBC report, there has been an alarming rise in illegal nicotine pouches containing potentially dangerous levels of nicotine.
Trading Standards teams in Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Dorset have made more than 1,500 seizures in the past year.
During the last 12 months, Oxfordshire Trading Standards has seized more than 900 packets of non-compliant nicotine pouches from retailers and launched several criminal investigations.
In Dorset, 844 seizures were made by officers and in Windsor and Maidenhead 21.
Since the products are fairly new there are no specific regulations covering advertising, strength or age restrictions.
Instead, they come under General Product Safety Regulations which means they need to be clearly labelled in English with safety guidelines.
"Nicotine is a poison, you need to know who to contact if something goes wrong, what to do if you swallow it, how many is safe to have over a period of time," BBC quoted Jody Kerman, head of Trading Standards at Oxfordshire County Council, as saying.
"If it's not in English, how are you supposed to know how to use it safely?"
Most pouches contain six to 20 milligrams (mg) of nicotine while some products contain 50mg.
Some illegal pouches claim to contain as much as 150mg of nicotine, although tests conducted on behalf of Trading Standards found actual levels varied greatly.
The government said new legislation would stop nicotine products being marketed to children and it was investing £30 million in enforcement.
Two of the largest companies, Japan Tobacco International and British American Tobacco that are behind brands such as Nordic Spirit and Velo, said their products were only meant for over-18s and they welcomed stronger regulations.
The Department of Health and Social Care said: "Snus is harmful and illegal to sell in the UK, which is why we are cracking down on illicit retailers by boosting funding for enforcement on the high street and at the border.
"Our Tobacco and Vapes Bill will put us on track for a smoke-free UK and stop vapes and nicotine products, including nicotine pouches, from being marketed to children."
Supermarket Asda has announced the joining of Jo Whitfield in its board of directors as a Non-executive Director to support its turnaround plans.
Whitfield previously spent eight years at Asda from 2008 onwards, holding a number of senior positions in operations, e-commerce, commercial, general merchandise and money & mobile.
She then joined the Co-op, where she was Chief Executive of Food for five years from 2017. Until last year, she was the CEO at Matalan, leading a business turnaround strategy.
Asda noted that given her breadth of experience in the convenience market from her time at the Co-op, she will have a particular focus on supporting the growth of the group’s Express c-store chain.
In recent weeks, Asda’s new Chairman, Allan Leighton, has made several changes to the struggling retailer’s management team to support his strategy to return the chain to its traditional focus on value.
He is also reported to have restarted the group’s search for a Chief Executive, having operated without a permanent leader since the abrupt departure of Roger Burnley in August 2021.
At the end of January, Asda announced that it was cutting prices on over 4,000 products as part of a move to re-establish its value credentials and win back shoppers after a slump in its market share over the past year.
Commenting on his latest appointment, Leighton said, “Jo is one of the UK’s most experienced retail leaders and has a deep knowledge of the food retail, convenience and fashion markets.
"She also understands Asda’s DNA and the role this business plays in delivering value for hard-working families. We are delighted to welcome her back to Asda.”
Whitfield, who will join Asda shortly, added, “Asda is one of the biggest names in retail and plays an important role in the daily lives of millions of customers and communities throughout the UK.
"It is a business that I have a strong affinity with and I look forward to working with Allan and the rest of the leadership team to help Asda get back on track.”
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Pictured at the launch of the partnership is the culinary students with (centre back) Sean Owens, Ulster University, (front l to r) Michael Gillies, Ulster University, Laimis Minelga, Favourit and Favourit ambassador, Ian Hunter, Belfast Cookery School.
is celebrating a landmark 110 years in business in 2025. In the first of a series of plans to be revealed throughout the year, Favourit has announced that it is collaborating with Ulster University to create a special award for aspiring leaders in culinary arts.
As part of this partnership, Favourit’s ranges will be incorporated into a BSc Culinary Arts Management module, offering students the opportunity to showcase their creativity and culinary expertise using the Belfast-based food company’s range of herbs, spices and seasonings.
“Favourit is a Northern Ireland success story which has, over the last 110 years, consistently offered quality products which are available in stores across the island of Ireland and Great Britain," said Laimis Minelga, Marketing Executive at Favourit.
“In this very special anniversary year we wanted to partner with an established education institution that would allow us to work with and encourage young people to explore flavours more. The team from the Department of Hospitality Tourism and Events Management at Ulster University were on board from the get-go and it has been such a rewarding experience already.”
Throughout the Ulster University culinary arts module titled Contemporary Gastronomy, students will be challenged to create a complete menu – including a starter, main course, and dessert – with at least one Favourit product featured in each dish.
The highest-scoring student will receive a £1,000 bursary from Favourit, providing a valuable opportunity to further their culinary education or pursue their passion for food.
“This collaboration allows students to develop their culinary skills and explore the art of flavour pairing using our ranges which have over forty herbs, spices and seasonings," Minelga continued. "We’re proud to support young people that are passionate about food and to offer them a chance to win a bursary to further their culinary journey.”
Michael Gillies, Course Director and Lecturer Culinary Arts Management, Department of Hospitality Tourism and Events Management, Ulster University, said: “Our partnership with Favourit is an exciting and unique opportunity for students to work with an established, home-grown food brand that offers them an incredible range of products to work with. Using quality herbs and spices in their creations will give our aspiring culinary leaders numerous ways to show off their skills and to push the boundaries of flavour and innovation. Key when trying to get the best out of food.”
The Favourit 110th year celebration event will be held at Ulster University’s hospitality learning lab, The Academy Restaurant, where the next generation of hospitality professionals rehearse their management and leadership skills.
Laimis added: “There is no better place to hold our celebration dinner than at The Academy restaurant where Ulster University culinary arts management students created their dishes. The invited guests, which will include media, influencers, and trade professionals, will taste some of the students Favourit-inspired creations on the night, helping to showcase their considerable talents.”
Throughout 2025, Favourit is planning to make its 110th year a milestone for trade customers and consumers across the UK and Ireland. Keep up to date with the latest news by visiting their website, www.favouritfood.com, social media channels, www.instagram.com/favouritfoods/, https://www.facebook.com/favouritfoods, or call + 44 289 0267 080 for more information.