The Bank of England reports that members of the public now owe £1.457 trillion, £1.219 trillion of which is secured on dwellings, the value of which con­tinues to diminish, says Giles Fraser. So is more shopping the answer?

As world leaders and finance ministers meet this weekend to discuss funding for poorer countries, two leading development agencies are calling for major reforms of the global financial system.

Oikocredit, the worldwide co-operative which challenges churches and others to share their resources through socially responsible investments, has become a 'body in association' with Churches Together in Britain and Ireland.