Assembly questions banking chiefs

The Assembly Finance Committee has been questioning local banking chiefs over whether they can do more to help people survive the economic downturn.

DUP MLA Ian Paisley Jr told the bankers that the public perception is that they are the villains of the credit crunch.

However, British Bankers' Association Chief Executive Eric Leenders stressed the banking industry was grappling with the repercussions of a global problem.

"We need to recognise that the recession is a global one," he said.

"The banks are keenly aware of the circumstances that customers and small businesses alike face in Northern Ireland as a consequence of the credit crunch and the global recession."