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| Bank reform plans should be tougher, Banking Commission says | |
| (about 9 hours later) | |
| Government plans to ring-fence the banks - separate their retail businesses from their investment arms - "fall well short of what is required", a report has warned. | |
| The Parliamentary Commission on Banking Standards wants the government to "electrify" the fence so banks cannot make holes in it. | |
| The government's bank reforms will go before Parliament early next year. | The government's bank reforms will go before Parliament early next year. |
| The Treasury said it was committed to reforming the banking sector. | The Treasury said it was committed to reforming the banking sector. |
| Vickers recommendations | Vickers recommendations |
| The Parliamentary Commission on Banking Standards, known as the Banking Commission for short, was asked by Chancellor George Osborne to study the draft version of the government's Financial Services (Banking Reform) Bill. | The Parliamentary Commission on Banking Standards, known as the Banking Commission for short, was asked by Chancellor George Osborne to study the draft version of the government's Financial Services (Banking Reform) Bill. |
| The government is committed to using the legislation to separate banks' retail banking operations from their investment units. | The government is committed to using the legislation to separate banks' retail banking operations from their investment units. |
| This follows last year's recommendation by the Independent Commission on Banking, which was led by Sir John Vickers. | This follows last year's recommendation by the Independent Commission on Banking, which was led by Sir John Vickers. |
| Sir John concluded that ring-fencing was the best way to protect retail banking from any future investment banking losses, such as were seen following the global financial crisis. | Sir John concluded that ring-fencing was the best way to protect retail banking from any future investment banking losses, such as were seen following the global financial crisis. |
| However, he stopped short of calling for a total separation of retail and investment banks. | However, he stopped short of calling for a total separation of retail and investment banks. |
| Andrew Tyrie, chairman of the Banking Commission, said that the "electrification" of the ring fence should include the regulator being able to force the full separation of a bank's retail and investment divisions, if the lender was found to be trying to break the fence. | |
| "The proposals as they stand [in the Bill], fall well short of what is required," he said. | "The proposals as they stand [in the Bill], fall well short of what is required," he said. |
| "Over time, the ring-fence will be tested and challenged by the banks. Politicians too could succumb to lobbying from banks and others, adding to pressure to put holes in the ring-fence." | "Over time, the ring-fence will be tested and challenged by the banks. Politicians too could succumb to lobbying from banks and others, adding to pressure to put holes in the ring-fence." |
| He added: "For the ring-fence to succeed, banks need to be discouraged from gaming the rules. All history tells us they will do this unless incentivised not to." | He added: "For the ring-fence to succeed, banks need to be discouraged from gaming the rules. All history tells us they will do this unless incentivised not to." |
| "That is why we recommend electrification. The legislation needs to set out a reserve power for separation - the regulator needs to know he can use it." | "That is why we recommend electrification. The legislation needs to set out a reserve power for separation - the regulator needs to know he can use it." |
| Anthony Browne, the chief executive of the British Bankers' Association (BBA), welcomed the report, but warned that uncertainty over banks' prospects could have a negative impact on their ability to lend. | |
| "The risk here is creating uncertainty. If it's perpetually hanging over the banking sector that individual banks or the whole sector could be broken up at some point, then it's going to be difficult to return to having an investable banking sector that can be customer-focused and globally competitive and do what it should be doing, which is lending to homeowners and businesses," he said. | |
| Ed Balls, Labour's shadow chancellor said: "As Ed Miliband and I said at the Labour conference this year, if the letter and spirit of the Vickers proposals are not delivered and we do not see cultural change in our banks, full separation will be necessary. | |
| "The Commission is clearly right to say the jury is still out and to demand a reserve power for full separation of the banks." | |
| 'Consensus commitment' | 'Consensus commitment' |
| The Commission's report comes a month after Mr Osborne urged its members not to send the government's proposed reform "back to square one" by "unpicking" the consensus on how it should be carried out. | The Commission's report comes a month after Mr Osborne urged its members not to send the government's proposed reform "back to square one" by "unpicking" the consensus on how it should be carried out. |
| A Treasury spokesman said on Thursday evening: "The government is committed to reforming the financial sector and putting in place a regulatory structure that learns the lessons of the past and protects taxpayers in the future." | A Treasury spokesman said on Thursday evening: "The government is committed to reforming the financial sector and putting in place a regulatory structure that learns the lessons of the past and protects taxpayers in the future." |
| "It has been committed to building consensus and has consulted widely on these reforms over the last two and half years. The Banking Reform Bill is the next step in that. | "It has been committed to building consensus and has consulted widely on these reforms over the last two and half years. The Banking Reform Bill is the next step in that. |
| "The government is grateful to the Parliamentary Commission on Banking Standards for its scrutiny of the draft bill and notes that it, 'welcomes the government's action to bring forward legislation to implement a ring-fence'." | "The government is grateful to the Parliamentary Commission on Banking Standards for its scrutiny of the draft bill and notes that it, 'welcomes the government's action to bring forward legislation to implement a ring-fence'." |
| The spokesman added that the government would study the report and respond in detail when the Financial Services (Banking Reform) Bill is formally introduced to Parliament early next year. | The spokesman added that the government would study the report and respond in detail when the Financial Services (Banking Reform) Bill is formally introduced to Parliament early next year. |