The U.K. Treasury has announced detailed plans to modernize check payments in Great Britain. The Government department said it plans to introduce legislation for digital check imaging, and has launched a consultation with U.K. consumers, businesses, charities and the banking industry on how best to implement its proposed changes.

The Treasury said its reforms will enable banks to clear a certified, digital image of a check instead of a traditional paper check, and will allow bank customers to deposit checks via smartphones and tablets. Check imaging will enable banks to speed up check clearing times to as little as two days, the Government department said.

In a statement, the Treasury said it is seeking views on its proposal to allow U.K. banks to process images of checks rather than paper checks as they do today. Stakeholders have the option of responding to its consultation request on LinkedIn.

According to the Treasury, checks are a crucial part of the U.K. payments landscape, which is why it wants to safeguard their future. Nearly £840 billion ($1.4 trillion) worth of checks were processed in the U.K. in 2012, accounting for 10 percent of all payments made by individuals. Checks are especially important to small businesses, which continue to make more than a fifth of their outgoing payments in checks, the Treasury said. Checks continue to be a vital channel for charitable donations, with nearly a third of smaller U.K. charities receiving more than 75 percent of their income by check.

The Treasury first announced its plans to reform check payments in the U.K. at the end of 2013. Its December 2013 announcement noted that Barclays, one of the U.K.'s largest banks, plans to launch the country's first check imaging technology pilot in 2014 with a range of customers.