PRESS RELEASE : Government and Bank of England facilitate sale of Silicon Valley Bank UK [March 2023]

The press release issued by HM Treasury on 13 March 2023.

Silicon Valley Bank (UK) Ltd has today been sold to HSBC.  HSBC is headquartered in London, is the largest bank in Europe and is one of the world’s largest banking and financial services institutions, serving 39 million customers globally.  Customers of SVB UK will be able to access their deposits and banking services as normal from today.

This transaction has been facilitated by the Bank of England, in consultation with the Treasury, using powers granted by the Banking Act 2009.  No taxpayer money is involved, and customer deposits have been protected.

Making use of post-crisis banking reforms, which introduced powers to safely manage the failure of banks, this sale has protected both the customers of SVB UK and taxpayers.

The UK has a world leading tech sector, with a dynamic start-up and scale-up ecosystem and the government is pleased that a private sector purchaser has been found.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said:

“The UK’s tech sector is genuinely world-leading and of huge importance to the British economy, supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs. I said yesterday that we would look after our tech sector, and we have worked urgently to deliver on that promise and find a solution that will provide SVB UK’s customers with confidence.

“Today the government and the Bank of England have facilitated a private sale of Silicon Valley Bank UK; this ensures customer deposits are protected and can bank as normal, with no taxpayer support. I am pleased we have reached a resolution in such short order.

“HSBC is Europe’s largest bank, and SVB UK customers should feel reassured by the strength, safety and security that brings them.”