British high-street banks…are investing hundreds of millions of pounds in companies that manufacture cluster bombs – despite a growing global ban outlawing the production and trade of the weapons…The Royal Bank of Scotland, Lloyds TSB, Barclays and HSBC have all provided funding to the makers of cluster bombs…a weapons system that is inherently indiscriminate and routinely maims or kills civilians...[Since the report] HSBC said it has brought in a new investment policy that forbids it from investing in companies that make such weapons…A spokeswoman for Barclays said the company's investment policy "explicitly prohibits financing trade in landmines, cluster bombs or any equipment designed to be used as an instrument of torture"…In contrast, Lloyds and RBS resolutely defended their investments. [also refers to Alliant Techsystems, Lockheed Martin, Textron]