Letters – 16 July

Letters - 16 July

Bank paid-cheque wrangle over ‘troublesome’ request

I read Mr Taylor’s comments about returned cheques with great interest (2 July).

I have experienced problems with a certain local bank because, not only did it misunderstand the term ‘returned cheques’, but it also commented to my client that auditors of its other solicitor customers had never requested sight of ‘paid cheques’.

The implication was that I was putting them to enormous trouble and my client to great expense unnecessarily!

Anne P Moriaty, Chelmsford, Essex

Not the end for the agm

In your article ‘FDs want end to agms’ (2 July), you have misled your readers about the opinions I outlined to your writer. I have never said that agms should be scrapped and, as far as I know, no finance director would advocate such a change.

There is scope for making the agm an interesting and useful communication event and many companies have already taken steps to do so. The prospect of a new Companies Act provides companies with an opportunity to advance their opinions to the Department of Trade and Industry with a view to improving the effectiveness of agms.

Whether or not the new Act will achieve improvement will depend crucially on the advice given to the DTI. I advocated encouragement for such initiatives, but regrettably you chose not to publish that point.

Brian Birkenhead, deputy chairman, the 100 Group of Finance Directors

Talking down ‘Taking Stock’

I accept the light-hearted nature of ‘Taking Stock’, but see that you reported me quite incorrectly in your item ‘Spofforth shovelling slated’ (‘Taking Stock’, 9 July) and should like to clarify one point …

I did suggest that constructive, positive institute action and support was likely to be more effective in raising standards than insult.

I certainly did NOT suggest, however, that members needed to be ‘jollied along with handy hints and encouragement …’ I would NEVER so patronise my colleagues!

Susan Gompels, FCA, English ICA member, SI Gompels & Co, Cobham, Surrey

Traditional toilet humour

I have noted many references to PricewaterhouseCoopers’ newly formed acroymn.

Is it a millenniumese acronym for what used to be called a urinal?

P J Lashmar, FCA, Markyate, Herts

Mistaken vicinity

I have always assumed that the title of Austin Mitchell’s regular column on your ‘Letters’ page referred to the view from the Houses of Parliament.

I recently heard on BBC radio that Mr Mitchell was one of the Labour MPs who might be deselected because of his poor attendance record in the Commons.

It therefore seems that the title is ambiguous in that the view is from his own house and should be treated accordingly!

Name and address supplied

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