A general view of the London headquarter

A general view of the London headquarters of British banks HSBC (R) and Barclays (L) is pictured at Canary Wharf, in east London, on September 12, 2011. Britain's banks won plenty of time on Monday to make costly structural reforms after the government backed recommendations that lenders have until 2019 to "ring-fence" retail operations and hike capital reserves. Finance minister George Osborne said that the coalition would begin drawing up new legislation backing the government-appointed commission's call that banks such as HSBC and Barclays implement sweeping reforms by the end of the decade. AFP PHOTO/ FACUNDO ARRIZABALAGA (Photo credit should read FACUNDO ARRIZABALAGA/AFP via Getty Images)