Barclays And RBS Secure US Emergency Funding

Mon, 22 Oct 2007

Barclays and Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) have been granted a $30bn (£15bn) emergency loan by the US Federal Reserve to bail out American clients hit by the global credit crisis.

Barclays have been given permission to borrow up to £10bn through the facility, while RBS has access to £5bn.

A letter by the Fed to both banks states that the credit lines have been established to provide help to banks if they need access to short term funds .

So far, neither bank has accessed the funds and the credit lines have been set up solely as a contingency, banking sources have suggested.

The move by Barclays and RBS to follow US banks including Citigroup, Bank of America and JP Morgan in seeking access to emergency funds is a reminder of the continued threat of the global credit crunch.

The banks are required to put up assets as collateral with the US central bank in order to gain access to the credit line, although inside sources have stressed that the financial cushion has been set up as a contingency and may not need to be used.

Barclays have played down the significance of the safety net fund and stressed it had 'bucket loads' of liquidity, but added the facility could prove to be a cheaper source of funding for its clients, if needed.

An RBS spokesman added: "Major banks such as ourselves, Citigroup, JP Morgan and Barclays are encouraged by the Fed to have the discount facility in place and that's just what we've done."

The spokesman added that even though it had taken up the Fed’s offer, it had no intention of dipping into the fund.
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