Santander UK profits up 10% as expansion planned

The group, which writes a fifth of UK mortgages, said gross mortgage lending was up 14% on the same period last year to £12.3bn. Santander UK also intends to create over 600 jobs in its British branches and call centres over the next few months to further its continued growth and improve customer service. During H1 2010, Santander UK increased its lending to small and medium-sized businesses by 20%. Santander UK said demand for credit remains subdued and the market challenging. While house purchase volumes are higher than a year ago, they are low compared to the past decade and hou...