Exhibit 8.1
Principal subsidiaries of The Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc
Nature of business | Country of incorporation and principal area of operation | Group interest | |||
The Royal Bank of Scotland plc | Banking | Great Britain | 100% | ||
National Westminster Bank Plc (1) | Banking | Great Britain | 100% | ||
RBS Citizens Financial Group, Inc. | Banking | US | 100% | ||
Coutts & Company (2) | Private banking | Great Britain | 100% | ||
RBS Securities Inc. | Broker dealer | US | 100% | ||
Ulster Bank Limited (3) | Banking | Northern Ireland | 100% | ||
RBS Holdings N.V. (4) | Banking | The Netherlands | 98% |
Notes:
(1) | The company does not hold any of the NatWest preference shares in issue. |
(2) | Coutts & Company is incorporated with unlimited liability. Its registered office is 440 Strand, London WC2R 0QS. |
(3) | Ulster Bank Limited and its subsidiaries also operate in the Republic of Ireland. |
(4) | RFS Holdings B.V. (RFS) owns 100% of the outstanding shares of RBS Holdings N.V. (ABN AMRO Holding N.V. prior to 1 April 2010). RBS Holdings N.V. has one direct subsidiary, The Royal Bank of Scotland N.V. (RBS N.V.), a fully operational bank within the Group. RBS N.V. is independently rated and regulated by the Dutch Central Bank. On the division of an entity by demerger, Dutch law establishes a cross liability between surviving entities in respect of the creditors at the time of the demerger. RBS N.V.’s cross liability is limited by law to the lower of its equity and the debts of ABN AMRO Bank N.V. on 1 April 2010. The likelihood of any cross liability crystallising is considered remote. |
In accordance with undertakings given to the EC, the company sold the following ordinary share interests in its former wholly-owned subsidiary Direct Line Insurance Group Plc: October 2012 - 34.7%, March 2013 - 16.8% and September 2013 - 20%. The remaining investment of 28.5% at 31 December 2013 is classified as held for disposal.
The above information is provided in relation to the principal related undertakings as permitted by Section 410(2) of the Companies Act 2006. Full information on all related undertakings is included in the Annual Return delivered to the Registrar of Companies for Scotland.