There has been controversy over how big a bonus major UK banks should staff and key executives. In the past, bonus payments have made up a substancial part of the income of bankers, and have risen from 5bn to 15bn in the past three years. With many banks now facing huge losses, and their share prices having dropped sharply, critics question whether bankers deserve such pay-outs. The controversy is even sharper over banks which have received the most public money, such as RBS and lloyds TSB.