Cheques to stay

I very much welcome the news that the UK Payments Council has reversed its foolish and self-interested decision to scrap cheques. It is to be hoped that this decision is adhered to in spirit as well as letter and that the role of the cheque is not further eroded.

Being able to pay by cheque is especially important for older people, community groups and small businesses as they would have known had they been in touch - or cared.
Cheques, originating some 350 years ago, remain a popular and reliable way to pay bills or receive sums of money for tens of thousands of people in Birmingham and millions more throughout the country. In fact around 1.1 billion transactions were made by cheque last year alone.
The U turn by the Payments Council marks a step in the right direction but there is so much more that needs to be done - or undone - before many people, especially the elderly and small savers, can begin to trust the banks again in the way that they did for the late lamented Birmingham Municipal Bank.