British banking group Hbos - which is set to be taken over by Lloyds TSB - is planning to offshore around 2000 UK-based IT jobs to centres in India, according to press reports.
A report by UK tabloid the Mirror says the technology jobs, at Edinburgh and Halifax, are expected to go early next year.
The paper says it has seen documents that show the offshoring plans were drawn up by executives during a trip to India before the proposed Lloyds TSB takeover deal.
In a statement, Hbos says it has been exploring for some time whether to extend use of overseas contracts in the area of software development and applications.
But the bank says "no decisions have been taken" and any extension of offshoring will only occur after consultation with unions.
"Our work in this area is completely unconnected to the proposed acquisition by Lloyds TSB," says the statement.
Contacted by Finextra, an Hbos spokesman refused to elaborate on the statement and comment on the details of the Mirror story.
Last month a union representing thousands of staff at Lloyds TSB said the bank should be forced to halt all offshoring programmes in return for government support for its takeover of Hbos.
Lloyds TSB Group Union says the bank should mitigate the job losses expected to arise from the takeover by freezing plans to send work to India and to start bringing back jobs already offshored.
Hbos jolly to India to sack 2000 - the Mirror