How safe is our banking system?

Gordon Brown claims much of the credit for the soundness of our economy. But how secure is the whole banking system when you read about this sort of thing:

Barclays says that a "technical breakdown" in the UK's clearing system forced it to borrow £1.6bn from the Bank of England.

It is the second time this month that the bank has tapped into the central bank's emergency credit line, sparking fears it is facing a cash crisis. (source: BBC 31st August 2007)

Does this matter to you and me? well I think that it does, because if the economy isn't sound, then there just won't be the resources available for the NHS (or other vital parts of the public sector - education, roads, police,etc)

Perhaps Mr Brown isn't quite as clever as he thinks he is.