Exhibit 7.1

Computation of Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges



|(i) | Excluding interest on retail deposits
|--- | -------------------------------------



|                                                                       |  |                        |       |   |        |  |       |        |  |  |        |   |  |        |       |   |  |  |       |  
|---------------------------------------------------------------------- |  | ---------------------- | ----- | - | ------ |  | ----- | ------ |  |  | ------ | - |  | ------ | ----- | - |  |  | ----- | -
|                                                                       |  | Year ended December 31 |      
|                                                                       |  | 2017£m                 |       |   | 2016£m |  |       | 2015£m |  |  | 2014£m |   |  | 2013£m |      
|Profit on continuing operations before tax                             |  |                        | 1,814 |   |        |  | 1,914 |        |  |  | 1,342  |   |  |        | 1,399 |   |  |  | 1,109 |  
|Fixed charges: interest expense (B)
(1)                                |  |                        | 919   |   |        |  | 1,076 |        |  |  | 1,146  |   |  |        | 1,291 |   |  |  | 1,549 |  
|Preference security dividend requirements of consolidated subsidiaries |  |                        | (37   | ) |        |  | (30   | )      |  |  | (23    | ) |  |        | (40   | ) |  |  | (57   | )
|Earnings before taxes and fixed charges (A)                            |  |                        | 2,696 |   |        |  | 2,960 |        |  |  | 2,465  |   |  |        | 2,650 |   |  |  | 2,601 |  
|                                                                       |  |                        |       |   |        |  |       |        |  |  |        |   |  |        |       |   |  |  |       |  
|Ratio of earnings to fixed charges (A/B)                               |  |                        | 293   |   |        |  | 275   |        |  |  | 215    |   |  |        | 205   |   |  |  | 168   |  
|                                                                       |  |                        |       |   |        |  |       |        |  |  |        |   |  |        |       |   |  |  |       |  



|(ii) | Including interest on retail deposits
|---- | -------------------------------------



|                                                                       |  |                        |       |   |        |  |       |        |  |  |        |   |  |        |       |   |  |  |       |  
|---------------------------------------------------------------------- |  | ---------------------- | ----- | - | ------ |  | ----- | ------ |  |  | ------ | - |  | ------ | ----- | - |  |  | ----- | -
|                                                                       |  | Year ended December 31 |      
|                                                                       |  | 2017£m                 |       |   | 2016£m |  |       | 2015£m |  |  | 2014£m |   |  | 2013£m |      
|Profit on continuing operations before tax                             |  |                        | 1,814 |   |        |  | 1,914 |        |  |  | 1,342  |   |  |        | 1,399 |   |  |  | 1,109 |  
|Fixed charges: interest expense (B)
(1)                                |  |                        | 2,102 |   |        |  | 2,885 |        |  |  | 3,120  |   |  |        | 3,363 |   |  |  | 4,207 |  
|Preference security dividend requirements of consolidated subsidiaries |  |                        | (37   | ) |        |  | (30   | )      |  |  | (23    | ) |  |        | (40   | ) |  |  | (57   | )
|Earnings before taxes and fixed charges (A)                            |  |                        | 3,879 |   |        |  | 4,769 |        |  |  | 4,439  |   |  |        | 4,722 |   |  |  | 5,259 |  
|                                                                       |  |                        |       |   |        |  |       |        |  |  |        |   |  |        |       |   |  |  |       |  
|Ratio of earnings to fixed charges (A/B)                               |  |                        | 185   |   |        |  | 165   |        |  |  | 142    |   |  |        | 140   |   |  |  | 125   |  
|                                                                       |  |                        |       |   |        |  |       |        |  |  |        |   |  |        |       |   |  |  |       |  

Note



|(1) | Includes the amortisation of discounts and premiums on debt securities in issue.
|--- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------