Responding to the Chancellor's Mansion House speech, Stephen Jones, Chief Executive of UK Finance, commented:

?The Chancellor is right that promoting financial services trade with the rest of the world is key to the future success of the UK economy.

?The industry fully supports efforts to unlock greater access to financial markets overseas and promote and develop Britain as the world's leading financial centre.

?An ambitious deal on financial services trade between the UK and EU is also crucial to enable firms to continue providing cross-border services without unnecessary frictional costs, which otherwise will be borne by customers on both sides of the Channel.

?Pursuing a successful global trade strategy should go hand in hand with the UK remaining at the heart of Europe's financial system.?