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Article Date:	07/08/2006
Article Title:	Bad debts rise for UK banks
Bad debts at the UK banks have dogged otherwise strong performances in their half-year results announced this week. HSBC announced bad debt charges for the UK retail banking business up 36% for the first half of the year while Halifax Bank of Scotland group announced bad debts were up 14.74% to £864 million from £753 at the end of June last year. At Alliance and Leicester, the percentage of loans in arrears went from 5.1% at the start of the year to 5.5% for the end of June. All banks noted the increase in consumers applying for individual voluntary arrangements (IVAs).