28/02/2011 (Agence Europe) - Merger: Kew Green Hotels Limited/ Barclays Bank/Bank of Scotland. On 28 February 2011, the European Commission gave the go-ahead to the acquisition of Kew Green Hotels Limited of the UK, which runs 21 hotels in the UK as a franchise, by British companies Barclays Bank plc and Bank of Scotland plc (the latter controlled by Lloyds Banking Group plc (LPG - UK). LPG and Barclays Bank own shares in many companies in the hotel and catering industry and the deal, notified on 24 January 2011, was likely to lead to a limited overlap on the hotel market in the UK, but the potential risk to competition within the European Economic Area will be limited, explains the Commission, which decided therefore to let the deal go ahead. (F.G./transl.fl).