Lloyds TSB shores up bad debt provisions

The high street lender says while its impairment charge for loan losses from it continuing operations is expected to be broadly consistent with the provision change in the first half of 2004 more of its customers are having difficulty repaying loans. In a trading statement released ahead of the publication of its interim results on 30 June, Lloyds TSB says its retail banking arm is expected to “achieve satisfactory levels of customer lending and deposit balance growth” but that the rate of consumer lending growth in the first half of 2005 is expected to be “slightly lower than the doubly...