Clydesdale Bank has come under pressure to widen its sales review of interest rate hedging products after a Government minister said the bank had agreed to include a Scottish small business's fixed rate loan in the review.
The Clydesdale and Yorkshire banks have so far set their face against reviewing its 'fixed rate tailored business loans' (TBL), arguing they are pure loans that fall outside Financial Services Authority regulation.
Derivatives experts, however, have produced reports for several borrowers detailing how the fixed rate TBL contains an "embedded swap", with the same variable breakage fees that characterise interest rate swap agreements (IRSAs).
In the Commons yesterday Jim McGovern, Labour MP for Dundee West, asked Treasury minister Greg Clark why a named constituent's contract had been excluded from the review ordered by the FSA.
Mr Clark replied: "Even though the product was not within the review's terms of reference, Clydesdale has agreed to consider it as part of the review."
That brought an immediate welcome from the National Australia Bank Customer Support Group, 90% of whose Clydesdale members have fixed rate TBLs.
However last night Barry Gardner, spokesman for Clydesdale Bank, said: "Fixed rate TBLs remain out of the scope of the review. While a customer's right to complain is unaffected, this case is not being considered as part of the review."
He suggested that the minister had not said that fixed rate TBLs were now to be included in the formal review of interest rate hedging products.
Mr Clark meanwhile promised the new Financial Conduct Authority will be able to receive "super-complaints" from small business organisations, giving them "fast-track access to the regulator" which they have not had with the FSA.
He said: "That should help to ensure any future misconduct is detected quickly and put right."
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