MAINTAINING HBOS INDEPENDENCE

That this House believes maintaining HBOS as an independent bank to be in the best interests of its personal and business customers, choice, competition, jobs, taxpayers and the economies of Scotland and Yorkshire; and accordingly calls on the Government to use its substantial influence as a stakeholder to ensure that any alternative bid to the proposed takeover by Lloyds TSB is fully evaluated by Ministers with a view to achieving the best long-term outcome rather than an over hasty response to the crisis.