Lend says Brown

Gordon Brown tells banks "Get lending again". Fundamentally that's what we need. Responsible lending n order to get the wheels moving again.

As interest rates were slashed to their lowest ever level by the Bank of England, the Prime Minister and Chancellor Alistair Darling again said it was essential that mortgage and business lending was stepped up.

At a "listening" event in Liverpool designed to show that ministers are in touch with a recession-hit country, they acknowledged that further Government action was necessary.

Businesses were "worried" and homeowners needed more security, the Prime Minister said.

"That's why we had to take urgent action a few weeks ago, when we had to recapitalise the banks - and we were the first country in the world to do it, but others have followed us.

"And that's why in the next few weeks we are looking at the measures we can take to take the next step, and take it with effect, and that is to get the banks to resume the lending that is necessary.

We keep our fingers crossed!