Corporate

Credit Quality and Provisions

Impaired loans with loss as a percentage of closing advances increased to 1.39% (2006 1.30%), and impairment losses increased by 40% to £602m (2006 £429m), mainly in Commercial, where we have reassessed the outlook for a number of higher risk credits. This resulted in impairment losses as a percentage of average advances of 0.61% (2006 0.50%). Impairment provisions were 0.73% (2006 0.82%) of closing advances.

(The information set out below and overleaf forms an integral part of the audited financial statements as described in the Accounting Policies section of the Financial Statements on page 160.)

Asset Quality Information As at 31.12.2007 As at 31.12.2006
(i) Exposure    
  £bn £bn
Loans and advances to customers 109.3 89.6
Impairment provisions on advances 0.8 0.7
Loans and advances to customers before impairment provisions 110.1 90.3
     
Classification of advances* % %
Agriculture, forestry and fishing 1 1
Energy 2 2
Manufacturing industry 4 5
Construction and property:    
Property investment 19 17
Property development 6 6
Housing associations 3 3
Housebuilders 3 2
Other property 6 6
Hotels, restaurants and wholesale and retail trade 11 11
Transport, storage and communication 6 7
Financial 5 5
Other services 13 15
Individuals 2 3
Non-UK residents 19 17
  100 100
(ii) Credit Quality and Collateral
Corporate’s loans are predominantly secured by fixed and floating charges. These charges allow Corporate a first ranking claim on the borrower’s assets in the event a default situation occurs.
   
Loans and advances to customers* As at 31.12.2007 £bn As at 31.12.2006 £bn
Neither past due nor impaired (1) 104.2 83.5
Past due but not impaired 2.7 5.1
Impaired 3.2 1.7
Total 110.1 90.3
     
Loans neither past due nor impaired* % %
Internal rating:    
Better than satisfactory risk 34 26
Satisfactory risk 52 52
Viable but monitoring 12 19
High Risk 2 3
Total 100 100
     
Loans past due but not impaired* £m £m
Past due 0 to 3 months 2,690 3,417
Past due 3 to 6 months 7 536
Past due more than 6 months 23 1,158
Total 2,720 5,111
     
Impaired loans* (2) £m £m
Past due 0 to 3 months 1,033 227
Past due 3 to 6 months 521 171
Past due 6 to 12 months 645 572
Past due over 12 months 966 750
Total 3,165 1,720
     
Impaired loans* £m £m
Impaired loans no loss (3) 1,648 557
Impaired loans with loss 1,517 1,163
Total 3,165 1,720
     
Impaired loans with loss as a % of closing advances 1.39% 1.30%
Impairment provisions £802m £735m
Impairment provisions as a % of closing advances 0.73% 0.82%
Impairment provisions as a % of impaired loans with loss 53% 63%

(1) Included in loans and advances that are neither past due nor impaired are £2m (2006 £89m) of troubled debt restructured loans that would have been past due or impaired had their terms not been renegotiated.

(2) Period relates to when account entered impaired status.

(3) Loans categorised as impaired no loss represent loans that have been individually assessed as having impairment characteristics but where we expect, after taking into consideration collateral and other credit enhancements, full recovery of both interest and capital. As we have progressed our Basel II project, we have refined the categorisation of assets reflected in the year on year increase.

* Before impairment provisions.

(End of information that forms an integral part of the audited financial statements.)

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