LONDON (Standard&Poor's CreditWire) April 19, 2000--In light of the takeover of National Westminster Bank PLC (NatWest) by Royal Bank of Scotland Group PLC (RBSG), Standard&Poor's today raised its ratings on Royal Bank of Scotland PLC (RBS). At the same time, Standard&Poor's affirmed its ratings on RBSG. Both ratings are removed from CreditWatch, where they were placed with positive implications on Nov. 30, 1999. Standard&Poor's also lowered its long-term ratings on NatWest, and its ratings on Ulster Bank Ltd., and Ulster Bank Finance PLC (UBF), and removed them from CreditWatch, where they were placed with negative implications on Sept. 24, 1999. See list below for all ratings. The equalization of the long-term counterparty