Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein)
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I thank the Acting Chairman for his patience. I have some follow-up questions. I want to revisit the issue of asset locks because as members know asset locks have been in place for credit union members for some time and have worked extremely well. We have seen many times in the US, as in most capitalist countries, how co-operatives change their status to limited companies to the detriment of members and to society in the long run. In particular, I ask our colleagues in ICOS about this because, to give an example, I would have thought ICOS might well look to develop energy co-operatives. One of the key concerns of an energy co-operative is how to stop communities from selling their co-operatives to such entities as Amazon.

An asset lock would do that. Do the witnesses not see the value of an asset lock in those circumstances?