Earlier quoted context omitted.
If the BoE took them over and HSBC bought them for £1 you can be sure that those numbers do not reflect the current situation.
Oddly, it had been reported that the bidding process for the bank was 'competitive' and that there were several interested parties. I can't see how that could have been true if the final price was a token £1 ?
HSBC: [sigh], ok fine why not
The token is just to make the sale contract binding