UK government details loans under RBS insurance scheme

The UK government has today issued details of the Royal Bank of Scotland's participation in the asset protection scheme and there is some concern about the make-up of the loans in question. More than half of the £280 billion of loans in the scheme have been agreed with foreign entities, something which is causing concern within the UK government. In reality, the UK taxpayer is paying to ensure loans which were agreed with foreign entities.

The massive document which details the RBS participation in the scheme also confirms that the UK government has the power to "parachute in" experts if it believes that the loans in question are not being managed correctly. Nobody quite expected the amount of detail which has been published and indeed there will be some embarrassment to those involved in the loans in question.

The Royal Bank of Scotland's entry to the scheme is funded by the UK taxpayer and will see the government's share stake in the business increase from 70% to 84%. It is also believed that the UK government has obtained the authority to block any staff bonus payments from Royal Bank of Scotland although whether this particular power will be used in the short to medium term is open to debate.