Estimates of the number who are without a current (ie, chequebook) account range as high as 23%.

ECONOMIST: Squeezing the banks

But he won hearts, if not minds, by throwing lavish parties and opening his chequebook to British causes.

ECONOMIST: Walter Annenberg

German officials were warning on Wednesday that Germany would not simply open its chequebook to solve the budget talks.

BBC: EU budget: Another battle looms

As for Chelsea, owner Roman Abramovich has kept his chequebook under lock and key for most of the summer.

BBC: SPORT | Football | Mourinho's pressure point?

Mr Osborne said there would be "no more open chequebook" for out-of-work families.

BBC: George Osborne: Cap brought in on benefit claims

Details of this are either in the front cover of your chequebook or in the terms and conditions of your account.

BBC: NEWS | Programmes | Moneybox | Post-dated cheques: A popular myth?

The other would let them offer interest-bearing chequebook accounts to business customers.

ECONOMIST: Industrial loan companies

Those who weren't holding a chequebook were treated slightly differently.

BBC: Life with Maxwell

On the government role in the deal, he said he personally went to the US to talk to the GM chief executive and chairman, but did not "wave a chequebook" in order to secure the deal.

BBC: Cable: UK 'good place' for car industry