Sir Alan Hardcastle Accountant and regulator who investigated the collapse of Barings and the problems at Lloyd’s of London

SIR ALAN HARDCASTLE, who has died aged 68, was chief accountancy adviser to the Treasury and chairman of the Board of Banking Supervision; he played leading roles in the Bank of England inquiry into the collapse of Barings and in foe regulatory affairs of Lloyd’s of London. Hardcastle was a founder member of the banking supervision board when it was created in 1986 by foe Chancellor, Nigel Lawson, to “assist” foe Governor of foe Bank of England in foe aftermath of the Johnson Matthey Bankers scandal, in which the Bank’s own supervisory performance had been heavily criticised. In the board’s 1995 inquiry into the failures of management and supervision which allowed Nick Leeson’s dealings in Singapore to bring dowp foe historic house of Baraigs/Hardcastle was convenor of the independent members of the board and a cofmgnatory of the report i foe Governor. Iardcastle’8 independent griup had foe sensitive task of {assessing foe Bank’s own in foe affair, commenton “unacceptable delay” “lack of rigour” in its lulling of Barings, ten foe supervisory role, anff* the board itself, were moved from the Bank to the Financial Services Authority in 1998, Hardcastle was foe na rural candidate to become chairman — remaining...