The Rock loan may have grown by a further £2.7 billion over the last week as negotiations about its future meander towards a conclusion. The increase from £1.1 billion in the prior week is consistent with reports of accelerating retail deposit outflows from the troubled bank. The cumulative rise since 12th September is now £29.1 billion (all figures based on changes in "other assets" on the Bank of England's weekly return). Recent trends suggest the bank's retail funding base may have largely disappeared by the time a bid is completed.