Dr Kaihsu Tai

By e-mail: [email address]

Dear Dr Tai,

I am responding on behalf of UKFI to your Freedom of Information request around whether UKFI holds information on:

You asked for a yes-or-no answer. Following a search of our records, I can confirm that UKFI do hold information the market shares of each of the banks held by major financial institutions. However, UKFI does not hold information relating to whether merger(s) of investee banks would achieve a position of market dominance, and does not hold any information regarding representations made to the banks regarding mergers.

UKFI has an interest in the market shares of our investee banks in major financial markets in the interests of meeting our objective of disposing of the Government's investments in an orderly and active way in the context of creating and protecting value for the taxpayer as shareholder. However, detailed regulation of mergers and ensuring healthy competition in UK markets are issues for the Competition Commission.

Yours sincerely,

Marie-Anne Barnes

UK Financial Investments

Your Rights to Complain under the FOI Act

If you are unhappy with the service you have received in relation to your request and wish to make a complaint or request an review of our decision, you should write within two months of the date of this letter to UK Financial Investments, G/08, 1 Horse Guard Road, London SW1A 2HQ. email - [email address]

If you are not content with the outcome your complaint, you may apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision. Generally, the ICO cannot make a decision unless you have exhausted the complaints procedure provided by UKFI. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: The Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF.

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