Banker wants pay secrecy

A top executive at Royal Bank of Scotland risked outrage and ridicule today after claiming it would be unfair to force banks to publish the salaries of their best-paid staff.

Chris Kyle, global banking and markets chief financial officer, said: "I don't see why the banking industry should be any different to any other industry.

"I don't see why banks should be singled out."

His comments, at a conference in Singapore, flew in the face of public opinion and plans by the Government to force banks to publish how much top-earners are paid. City grandee Sir David Walker will this week unveil his final recommendations on corporate governance at banks which have been blamed for triggering the deepest recession on record.

RBS is 84%-owned by the taxpayer after receiving billions of pounds of emergency state aid.

Lib-Dem Vince Cable said: "Since banks are broadly dependent on the taxpayer, why shouldn't their salaries be revealed?"