THE RBS memo published by the Treasury Committee urging staff to “let customers hang themselves” is no joking matter (Revealed: RBS memo urges staff to ‘let customers hang themselves’", The Herald, January 18) – especially since the banks’ response to the crisis of 2008 and its impact on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and communities is still fresh in memory of many.

With current bank net lending to SMEs collapsing and Scottish companies facing financial distress, how are revelations like the RBS memo going to help and mend the broken trust between SMEs and banks? The concern now is that businesses are failing to plan for Brexit, in any shape or form, because of the uncertainties they face and if they were reluctant to consult banks before, how will they respond to stories like these?

At a time when trust between businesses and banks is most needed to build a strong and resilient economy, stories that confirm that banks worry more about their own balance sheets than the people they are meant to help is disturbing. Instead of apologetic excuses from chief executive Ross McEwan, what we need is reassurance that the banks will produce plans and products for their business customers to ensure that history will not be repeated.

Michelle Thomson,

Momentous Change Ltd,

Granary Business Centre, Coal Road, Cupar.

REGARDING bank closures ("Union: RBS closures plan a ‘betrayal’ of Scots people", The Herald January 17), I have yet to see any detail of the alleged survey that the Royal Bank of Scotland is saying has triggered the latest round of branch closures.

I have the following questions:

1. Does the survey exist?

2. Was it independent?

3. Were the results statistically significant?

4. Will the high heid yins provide the survey for independent analysis?

I ask the questions because:

1. I have yet to hear of an RBS customer who is happy about the closures.

2. We have yet to hear from anyone who took part in the survey.

So, does it exist?

Ian M Forrest,

Dalveen, Garvock Road, Laurencekirk.