Mr. Jim Brown:

In our experience, the bankruptcy period, be it three years or one year, is not the issue in trying to resolve the 2,000 cases in arrears. Whatever the period, those customers will not engage with us, and changing the bankruptcy period will not cause them to do so. Unless customers respond to the commitments we have just launched, the only tool we have is the court process. The standard variable rates are very similar in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland and the margins are virtually identical. We have four or five key competitors in the mortgage market here. Although the competitors in the North are different, competition is equally active, and there are competitors there from the rest of the UK and Europe. The number of competitors is similar in round terms. We are rated by Standard & Poor's, Moody's and Fitch in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Although I do not have the ratings here, we are happy to provide them.