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Why has the Scottish government been so reluctant - until this week - to challenge the duopoly that controls most access to bank finance within Scottish business?

Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds Banking Group together account for comfortably over 75% of business lending in Scotland.

The Office of Fair Trading said - when it was asked in autumn 2008 - that it was not in the interests of good banking competition for Lloyds TSB and Halifax Bank of Scotland to have such a big share of the Scottish market on its own.

But that was overridden by the then UK government, in the rush to shore up HBOS.

What's hard to fathom is the slow pace at which the OFT has returned to the issue. And even harder to fathom is why the Scottish government has been reluctant to press for that, particularly after it went out of its way to highlight the problems the small and medium-size business sector is suffering from credit constraints.

There have been informal talks between officials and the OFT, and it was deemed more important to let structural change take place, such as the sale of the Lloyds TSB Scotland branch network, being forced by the European Commission on Lloyds Banking Group.

Until recently, there had been no ministerial contact on the issue.

As finance secretary John Swinney told MSPS in February:

"There may be a role at some stage for such an investigation to be undertaken, but the degree of change in the market at this particular time suggests that it is important to get the correct outcomes in encouraging competition from the process, and then to consider such questions."

So, clearly no enthusiasm there. It then got to a vote in the economy committee, in which SNP MSPs chose to dissent from the majority view that the OFT should be asked to carry out a new review of the banks' duopoly of business banking.

That's now changed. Economy minister Jim Mather wrote on 14 June to the OFT chief executive, Jim Fingleton, asking that it extend its current review of barriers to entry for new banks (and exit for older ones) in the retail and business sector across the UK market.

That way, the problems faced by businesses in Scotland could be fully addressed again - if the OFT takes up the request.

Meanwhile, with more banks wanted and with a major overhaul announced on Wednesday by new Chancellor George Osborne for the regulation of banks, one of the new entrants to banking has today set out its stall, with at least one unusual proposition.

Metro Bank is to operate from next month but with its branch network limited to greater London. It will offer easy-to-open accounts and branches that will be open seven days and for longer hours than usual.

The most unusual aspect of its offering is that the branches are to be dog-friendly, with water bowls and snacks for financial Fido.