Clydesdale claims strong growth

The Clydesdale has produced a special note for the Year of Homecoming

Clydesdale Bank has claimed its half year figures have shown a strong performance.

The bank has expanded customer numbers by 5% in the six months and increased business lending by 14% representing £1.2bn.

Overall new lending increased by £1.9bn, which included £0.6bn of new mortgage lending.

The bank has credited its "traditional banking approach" for underpinning the figures.

The bank said that its funding position had been further improved by its deposit performance, reporting that business deposits increased nationally by 15% and claiming that that rise was almost five times higher than the industry average.

Regional performance

In Scotland, the Bank reported average lending growth of 16%.

That figure was broken down across Scotland with lending increased by 21% in Glasgow, 7% in Dundee, 11% in Edinburgh, and 45% in Aberdeen.

Scott McKerracher, Regional Director in Scotland, said: "These results clearly demonstrate how our traditional banking approach is helping local businesses to succeed.

"We are committed to supporting businesses in the towns and cities in which we operate and our clients tell us they like the fact that the money they bank with us goes back into supporting their local economy.

"As a strong bank, our focus has always been on the traditional banking values that have served us well.

"We are committed to further developing our support for new businesses in Scotland over the coming year."

Clydesdale Bank is part of the National Australia Group.

Clydesdale Bank was established in 1838 in Glasgow.

It has over 150 retail branches and a network of Financial Solutions Centres.