Mike V

You have things the wrong way round. I'm English and live in Prague. This is not the forum to explain what systems should replace cheques - suffice to say that cheques are really unnecessary and particularly for business they are an extremely archaic form of payment.

Is everyone aware that cheques are still commonly used in France for the simple reason that it is a serious offence to write a dud cheque? If you do you have your account frozen and you get fined by the governement, the result is that you often see cheques being written in supermarkets, all the checkout operator asks to see is your identity card.

I don't often write personal cheques, but I could not manage without the ability to write one now and again (e.g., to pay tradesmen who do not accept card payment) - even if there were a modest fee for doing so (such as charged by some Australian banks) to cover the extra cost of processing.
But I do more often receive cheques from various sources, and I would not wish to be forced to give my bank account details to all and sundry to facilitate their direct payment to my bank account. So cheques remain essential.
Also, I manage a community account for a voluntary organisation, and cannot imagine how I would do so if we could not write cheques to settle accounts. Our experience of receiving payments direct to bank account has not been happy, and it would involve huge amounts of work to try to make all payments electronically.
So, yes, SAVE the CHEQUE!

Chazza said: "it would involve huge amounts of work to try to make all payments electronically."

Really? So rather than filling in a simple on-line form it is easier to handwrite a cheque, fill in the info on the cheque stub, handwrite an envelope and go to the post office with it. When the recipient gets it he then has to go to his bank with it or post it further himself.

Come on!

Without wishing to have vitriol heaped on me by Mike V, I have to say that it is simply a matter of over-conservative British reluctance to change. There are better ways of doing things!

If it ain't bust don't fix it! Leave cheques alone.