UK state-backed bank Royal Bank of Scotland lent more than double its nearest competitor to financial sponsors in Europe, the Middle East and Africa last year, fuelling concern that the private equity market could become stifled if banks that have been bailed out are forced to pare back buyout lending.

RBS lent $9.3bn (€6.8bn) across 27 buyouts in the region in 2008, more than double the $4.2bn lent by French bank Calyon, its closest rival. Other bailout recipients ranking in the Emea top 10 for financial sponsor lending were ING, Lloyds and HBOS. In total the market share of the four banks is 28.4%, with RBS accounting for 16%, according to figures from Thomson Reuters.