Cheque retention welcomed

News that the UK Payments Council has scrapped plans to withdraw cheques as a payment method has been welcomed in Orkney.

Under plans announced previously, the cheque was due to be phased out by 2018, however, the council has since confirmed that cheques would remain in use as long as there was a demand for them.

Northern Isles MP Alistair Carmichael said: “With over four million cheques written every day, it is clear that it is still a mode of payment in high demand. Older people in particular depend on the cheque for paying bills and their day-to-day finances, as do many small businesses and charities across Orkney and Shetland.

“In many of the smaller island communities of Orkney and Shetland, alternatives to the cheque, such as cash machines and online banking, are less readily available than in other parts of the country. The retention of the cheque is a sensible decision that will ensure that people living in these areas do not lose out.”