The Equality and Human Rights Commission said Parliament needs adequate time to scrutinise the proposed legislation.

The tie-up, announced in May, will create a banking giant with millions of customers and about £89 billion worth of assets.

Just 42,500 applications have been approved since July, when the Government said almost 900,000 households were missing out on the benefit.

Seven people have died in a landslide triggered by torrential rains in Indonesia’s Sumatra island, officials said, adding to ...