I have some Canadian governmental checks, can I deposit them into my British bank account?

I've been living in the UK for over a year now, and my parents have been holding my mail, and I have some GST cheques and other various cheques from the government and I was wondering if I can deposit them into my bank account with HSBC, and whether there will be fees or a holding period. I tried to contact my bank but I just got through to a call center in India and they had no idea what I was trying to ask. If anyone can give me some information, or point me in the right direction I'd appreciate it!