Fixed-rate, or "tailored" business loans, many dating back to National Australia Bank's aggressive growth in the mid 1980s, have emerged as the latest drag on the bank's UK earnings.NAB said yesterday it provided £115 million - reported in the group corporate centre rather than in Clydesdale Bank - "reflecting increased provisions relating to interest rate hedging products and certain tailored business loans." The bank noted: "there is risk that additional provisions will be required."NAB's Clydesdale Bank subsidiary promoted tailored business loans before the financial crisis at rates that many customers now see as uncommercial. The break costs on the loans are a particular source of angst.The alleged mis-selling of swaps embedded in these UK business loans has generated some vigorous customer activism seeking relief from the bank.UK Banking cash earnings, mainly Clydesdale, increased 12 per cent to £73 million over the half year. "Conduct related costs" were lower for the UK business, narrowly defined.Cash earnings in the NAB UK Commercial Real Estate run-off portfolio were a loss of £7 million, compared to a £149 million loss in the March 2013 half year.NAB said its UK CRE commercial property portfolio decreased over the half year to March 2014 by £0.7 billion to £3.3 billion, as the result of continued run-off activity. This now represents 10.5 per cent of group commercial property portfolio exposures, down 2.1 percentage points over a year.