HSBC to create 500 new jobs in Scotland

LONDON, June 20 (Reuters) - HSBC will create 500 new jobs in Scotland in its Global Risk and Customer Contact units, the bank said on Tuesday, its third expansion in the country in the last three years.

The new roles, which also include jobs in other parts of the bank, will increase the total number of HSBC staff in Scotland to 4,500, the bank said in a statement. "HSBC's expansion with the creation of 500 new jobs across Scotland is fantastic news for the economy, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who visited HSBC's Global Risk operations in Edinburgh on Tuesday, said in the bank's statement.

HSBC has also announced a fund of 500 million pounds ($632.35 million) for lending to small businesses in the country.

HSBC in common with other banks has meanwhile been slashing jobs in other parts of its business in recent years, closing bank branches across Britain and trimming hundreds of roles from its investment bank and retail banking divisions. ($1 = 0.7907 pounds) (Reporting By Lawrence White, editing by Pritha Sarkar)